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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wound — an injury
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. content — the amount
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. suit — to fit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. drill — the tool
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rush — hurry
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ball — a dance
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. suit — in cards
  22. drill — army training
  23. content — happy
  24. ball — a great time

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