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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. spring — the season
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chest — a box
  5. mark — a grade
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. spring — of water
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. object — to protest
  11. scale — in music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. object — a thing
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. spring — a coil
  20. object — an aim
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. scale — size or range
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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