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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bulb — for light
  3. shower — rain
  4. content — the amount
  5. mark — a trace
  6. content — happy
  7. craft — boats
  8. present — a gift
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mark — a grade
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bulb — for light
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. present — there
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. shower — to wash
  20. present — the time now
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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