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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. suit — to fit
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lean — to bend
  5. content — happy
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rash — a series
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. suit — clothes
  13. spell — magic
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. suit — in cards
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. content — the amount
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spell — letters

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