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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. can — a tin
  4. content — happy
  5. can — a tin
  6. content — the amount
  7. spring — of water
  8. can — to be able to
  9. charge — in control
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. charge — a price
  14. fork — in a road
  15. spring — the season
  16. wax — to grow
  17. spring — a coil
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. game — a match
  21. charge — electricity
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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