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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. face — to point toward
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. face — to confront
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hand — in cards
  20. content — happy
  21. chest — a box
  22. hand — help
  23. content — the amount
  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