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

Word bank: present · content · saw · pit · rock · snap · bear · dip

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rock — a stone
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. snap — to click
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. content — happy
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pit — in a race
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. present — a gift
  17. rock — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. dip — to sink
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. content — the amount
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bear — the animal

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