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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rest — a break
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — part of the head
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. ball — a great time
  24. prune — to trim

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