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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. hand — help
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. content — happy
  12. stand — to bear
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hand — in cards
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pop — soda
  24. wave — of the sea

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