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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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468
Word bank
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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. content — happy
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. drill — army training
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rule — government
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mine — for digging
  16. staff — employees
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. content — the amount
  22. rule — a law
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — to keep secret

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