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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. game — a match
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — wild animals
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. content — the amount
  24. hide — to keep secret

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