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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ball — a dance
  4. content — happy
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stem — to come from
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. land — ground
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. land — to come down
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bulb — for light
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. land — a country
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. drill — army training

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