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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. content — happy
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. current — of water
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. content — the amount
  9. staff — a stick
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. prune — to trim
  13. staff — employees
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. current — electric
  16. fork — in a road
  17. prune — to trim
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — happening now
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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