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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rock — a stone
  5. drill — the tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. rock — music
  8. content — happy
  9. drill — a practice
  10. last — finally
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. last — to go on
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. drill — army training
  24. last — final

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