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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. band — a ring
  4. row — a line
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. object — a thing
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. band — a music group
  10. mug — a cup
  11. object — to protest
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. content — happy
  14. row — to paddle
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fine — all right
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. content — the amount
  20. mug — a face
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. object — an aim
  24. fine — high quality

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