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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. dip — to sink
  9. content — the amount
  10. suit — to fit
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pound — a weight
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. content — happy

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