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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. root — the cause
  9. chest — a box
  10. hand — in cards
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. content — happy
  15. hand — help
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chest — of your body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hand — part of the body

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