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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. content — the amount
  4. current — electric
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. content — happy
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. net — for catching
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. net — after costs
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. current — of water
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. current — happening now
  18. net — in sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mine — for digging

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