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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. land — a country
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fall — to drop
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. land — ground
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fall — the season
  16. land — to come down
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. content — happy
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bear — the animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wound — an injury
  23. content — the amount
  24. sharp — with an edge

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