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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 124 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. content — the amount
  3. rock — music
  4. fall — to drop
  5. toast — bread
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — happy
  8. mug — a face
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spring — of water
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fall — the season
  20. mate — to breed
  21. can — a tin
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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