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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bear — the animal
  3. content — happy
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. chair — a leader
  21. face — to confront
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. content — the amount
  24. wave — with your hand

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