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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 116 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mark — a trace
  3. can — to be able to
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rock — music
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. ground — a position
  11. mine — for digging
  12. can — a tin
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. ground — crushed
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — happy
  18. ground — the earth
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rock — a stone
  23. content — the amount
  24. mine — an explosive

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