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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bulb — for light
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mug — a face
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. fine — all right
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fine — high quality
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mug — a cup
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. spell — magic
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mug — to rob
  18. content — happy
  19. spell — a short time
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bulb — for light
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. spell — letters

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