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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. content — happy
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. season — of the year
  16. face — to point toward
  17. key — in music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. season — in sport
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. patient — a sick person

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