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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. content — happy
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mark — a grade
  17. capital — money
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. capital — a city
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bear — the animal
  24. content — the amount

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