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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. current — of water
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. content — happy
  7. hand — in cards
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rule — a law
  15. hand — help
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. current — electric
  19. content — the amount
  20. current — happening now
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. branch — a division
  24. rule — government

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