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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. last — finally
  3. tube — a container
  4. content — the amount
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. last — to go on
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cap — a hat
  9. branch — a division
  10. cap — a lid
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. last — final
  14. wound — an injury
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. content — happy
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wax — in the ear

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