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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · rush · present · date · object · clip · deal · bear

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bear — the animal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. present — a gift
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bear — the animal
  8. content — the amount
  9. clip — a video
  10. object — a thing
  11. content — happy
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. object — an aim
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. clip — for paper
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. deal — to handle
  21. date — the fruit
  22. object — to protest
  23. rush — hurry
  24. deal — an agreement

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