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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. content — the amount
  7. bore — to tire
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mark — a trace
  14. content — happy
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. can — to be able to
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bore — to drill
  21. can — a tin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. can — a tin

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