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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. swing — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — to play on
  14. kick — in football
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mine — for digging
  19. content — the amount
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. season — of the year
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. content — happy
  24. season — in sport

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