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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. content — happy
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. squash — to crush
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bear — the animal
  14. content — the amount
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. suit — clothes
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. suit — in cards

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