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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. can — to be able to
  15. content — happy
  16. can — a tin
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fine — all right
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. dip — to sink
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. row — to paddle
  24. can — a tin

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