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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rash — hasty
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. content — happy
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wax — to grow
  13. content — the amount
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rash — a series
  18. bear — the animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mine — an explosive

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