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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. spell — magic
  4. land — ground
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. spell — letters
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rock — music
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cap — a lid
  19. spell — a short time
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. land — a country
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. land — to come down

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