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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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bulb — for light
  9. shower — to wash
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. shower — rain
  12. content — happy
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — the amount
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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