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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. degree — from a university
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. squash — to crush
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. content — the amount
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cap — a lid
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rock — music
  13. degree — an amount
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. degree — temperature
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. content — happy
  22. cap — of ice
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cap — a hat

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