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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. deal — to handle
  4. content — the amount
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cell — a phone
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. face — to confront
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mate — a friend
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. staff — employees
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. content — happy
  18. staff — employees
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cell — in biology

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