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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 124 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. rock — music
  3. content — the amount
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. toast — bread
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rock — a stone
  14. chip — to eat
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. nail — on a finger
  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