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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. net — for catching
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. net — after costs
  7. last — finally
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cell — a phone
  12. net — in sport
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. last — to go on
  15. fine — all right
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cell — in biology
  18. last — final
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cell — in a prison

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