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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hand — in cards
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bore — to drill
  10. content — the amount
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hand — help
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. lie — to recline
  24. content — happy

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