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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. root — the cause
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. kid — child
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. root — of a word
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. snap — to click
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rest — a break
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — for betting
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lie — to recline
  24. chip — in a computer

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