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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. content — the amount
  3. cap — of ice
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cap — a lid
  7. prune — to trim
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. field — farmland
  10. rush — hurry
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. prune — to trim
  15. field — a subject
  16. cap — a hat
  17. content — happy
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. field — for sport

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