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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. lie — to recline
  4. season — of the year
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. land — a country
  8. content — the amount
  9. march — the month
  10. pit — in a race
  11. content — happy
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. season — in sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pit — a hole
  24. march — music

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