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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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Word bank
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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fine — all right
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fine — high quality
  7. season — of the year
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lean — thin
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. ball — a great time
  14. content — the amount
  15. tube — a container
  16. ball — a dance
  17. content — happy
  18. season — in sport
  19. sharp — clever
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rash — a series

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