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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. content — happy
  4. bound — certain
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. craft — boats
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. roll — a list
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — rain
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bound — tied together
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bound — obliged
  23. content — the amount
  24. leaves — of a tree

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