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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. content — happy
  3. charge — a price
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cap — a lid
  8. content — the amount
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rush — hurry
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. charge — electricity
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bear — the animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. charge — in control

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