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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 116 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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — the cause
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. root — of a word
  10. drill — army training
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. content — the amount
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. root — of a plant
  17. content — happy
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. drill — the tool

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