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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. last — to go on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. content — happy
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. last — finally
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bulb — for light
  17. last — final
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pitch — completely
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. content — the amount
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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