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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. present — the time now
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. content — videos and posts

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