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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. charge — in control
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. charge — a price
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wound — an injury
  20. charge — electricity
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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