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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. content — happy
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. spring — of water
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stand — to bear
  13. content — the amount
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. spring — the season
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lie — an untruth

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