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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 120 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. face — to confront
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — to visit
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. pop — music
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pop — soda

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