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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. content — the amount
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. fine — high quality
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. content — happy
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wake — before a funeral

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