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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. track — a song
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fall — to drop
  8. content — the amount
  9. charge — electricity
  10. content — happy
  11. charge — in control
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fine — all right
  14. track — a path
  15. charge — a price
  16. fine — high quality
  17. track — to keep track
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fall — the season
  24. hide — animal skin

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