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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. content — happy
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cap — a hat
  8. content — the amount
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — a stone
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pitch — completely
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cap — of ice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — music
  23. branch — a division
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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