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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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. saw — the tool
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. saw — the tool
  6. swing — music
  7. content — happy
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. last — finally
  11. swing — to play on
  12. content — the amount
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. last — final
  16. cap — of ice
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. last — to go on
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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