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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bound — obliged
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bound — certain
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. content — happy
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wake — a trail
  15. face — to confront
  16. content — the amount
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. sharp — clever
  24. face — to point toward

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