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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 124 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. last — finally
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. content — the amount
  6. bass — low music
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. last — final
  9. capital — a city
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. field — a subject
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. field — farmland
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. field — for sport
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. last — to go on
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. capital — money
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. content — happy
  24. hide — to keep secret

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