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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. fall — the season
  4. content — happy
  5. mug — a cup
  6. suit — clothes
  7. content — the amount
  8. cell — a phone
  9. suit — to fit
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mug — to rob
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mug — a face
  20. row — a line
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. row — to paddle
  23. cell — in biology
  24. ball — a great time

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