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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fall — the season
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. content — the amount
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rock — a stone
  13. roll — a list
  14. content — happy
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bark — to shout
  20. roll — a cake
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rock — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wind — moving air

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