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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. firm — decided
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cap — a lid
  8. content — the amount
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. content — happy
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cold — an illness
  15. deal — to handle
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. firm — a company
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. firm — steady

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