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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. ground — a position
  3. rule — a law
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. object — an aim
  9. foot — a measure
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. object — a thing
  12. rule — government
  13. object — to protest
  14. cell — a phone
  15. ground — crushed
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. squash — to crush
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cell — in a prison
  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