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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — the amount
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wake — a trail
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lean — to bend
  17. squash — to crush
  18. content — happy
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lean — thin
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com