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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fall — to drop
  6. object — an aim
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. content — the amount
  10. bass — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. content — happy
  13. perch — the fish
  14. board — a committee
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bass — low music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fall — the season
  20. object — to protest
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. season — of the year

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