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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wound — an injury
  3. content — happy
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. field — for sport
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. field — a subject
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rest — what's left
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — farmland
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. wound — an injury
  24. content — the amount

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