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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. season — in sport
  6. content — happy
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. content — the amount
  9. season — of the year
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. charge — electricity
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. charge — in control
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. charge — a price
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hand — help
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. hand — in cards

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