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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. game — a match
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. date — the fruit
  6. content — happy
  7. face — to confront
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. suit — in cards
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. prune — to trim
  18. suit — to fit
  19. face — to point toward
  20. prune — to trim
  21. perch — the fish
  22. suit — clothes
  23. content — the amount
  24. face — part of the head

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