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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. content — the amount
  12. wax — to grow
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fall — the season
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. content — happy
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. snap — to click
  24. hide — to keep secret

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