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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 124 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — help
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ball — a great time
  9. charge — a price
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. date — the fruit
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. ball — a round shape

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