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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bear — the animal
  4. content — the amount
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. snap — to click
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. file — a document
  13. content — happy
  14. rash — a series
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wake — a trail
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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