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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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. content — the amount
  5. craft — a skill
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. content — happy
  12. game — a match
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. game — wild animals
  24. trunk — of a car

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