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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. present — the time now
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. content — happy
  7. mate — a friend
  8. staff — employees
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — to breed
  11. staff — employees
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mate — a partner
  15. present — there
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. content — the amount
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. present — a gift
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. staff — a stick

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