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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. land — ground
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. foot — a measure
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. saw — the tool
  11. march — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. land — a country
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. march — the month
  16. squash — to crush
  17. content — happy
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. squash — the sport
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. march — the month
  23. content — the amount
  24. mouse — the animal

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