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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. content — happy
  3. last — finally
  4. tear — from crying
  5. content — the amount
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. face — part of the head
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mug — to rob
  18. last — to go on
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. face — to confront
  22. tear — from crying
  23. last — final
  24. mug — a face

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