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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tear — to rip
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. face — to confront
  10. fine — high quality
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stand — to bear
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fine — all right
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. face — part of the head
  24. content — happy

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