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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 116 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bound — certain
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. content — happy
  13. bound — tied together
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pitch — completely
  19. content — the amount
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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