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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. can — a tin
  8. rest — a break
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. key — in music
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wound — an injury
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rash — a series
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rash — on the skin

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