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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mug — a face
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. dip — to sink
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mug — to rob
  22. spell — magic
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stem — to come from

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