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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tube — a container
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rush — a thrill

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