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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — happy
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. content — the amount
  11. shower — rain
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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