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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fall — to drop
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — the season
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rash — a series
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — to protest
  17. content — happy
  18. bulb — for light
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. content — the amount
  21. ball — a dance
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  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