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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. tear — to rip
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rock — music
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. face — to confront
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. tear — from crying
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. face — part of the head
  21. tear — from crying
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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