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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. content — the amount
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. content — happy
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cap — of ice
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pop — music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rule — a law
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pop — soda

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