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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. kid — child
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. content — the amount
  5. object — to protest
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. tube — a container
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. object — an aim
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — bread
  14. object — a thing
  15. kid — to tease
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. lie — to recline
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. content — videos and posts

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