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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
468
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: toast · sharp · mug · rush · spell · mine · cap · content

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. toast — bread
  3. cap — a lid
  4. spell — magic
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mug — a face
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mug — a cup
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. cap — of ice
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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