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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mug — a cup
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. content — the amount
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. game — a match
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. content — happy
  18. mug — to rob
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mug — a face
  23. game — wild animals
  24. hide — animal skin

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