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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. content — the amount
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wake — a trail
  17. content — happy
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tube — a container
  20. plane — a tool
  21. chip — to eat
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. tube — the underground

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