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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. content — happy
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. spell — magic
  15. lean — thin
  16. rock — music
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rock — a stone
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. leaves — of a tree

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