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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rule — a law
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. craft — boats
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. craft — a skill
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stem — to come from
  20. content — happy
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. craft — a handicraft

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