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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. chest — of your body
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. content — happy
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. content — the amount
  18. chest — of your body
  19. deal — to handle
  20. dip — to sink
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. sharp — clever
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. chest — a box

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