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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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 — animal skin
  3. content — the amount
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. object — a thing
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. clip — a video
  10. staff — employees
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. object — to protest
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. object — an aim
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pit — a hole
  22. clip — to cut
  23. staff — employees
  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