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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. content — happy
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rule — a law
  8. suit — to fit
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. content — the amount
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. game — wild animals
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. game — a match
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rule — government
  20. fine — all right
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. suit — in cards
  24. spring — of water

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