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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fine — all right
  4. bass — the fish
  5. snap — to click
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. squash — the sport
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. ball — a great time
  15. squash — to crush
  16. face — to confront
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fine — high quality
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. content — happy
  21. ball — a dance
  22. kid — child
  23. bass — low music
  24. kid — to tease

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