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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. content — the amount
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. content — happy
  6. drill — army training
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — the tool
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — a video
  13. drill — a practice
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. clip — for paper

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