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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. net — after costs
  3. rash — a series
  4. net — for catching
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rule — government
  7. track — a path
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. staff — employees
  12. net — in sport
  13. rule — a law
  14. staff — employees
  15. content — happy
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wake — a trail
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. track — a song
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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