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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mug — to rob
  3. content — happy
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bank — for money
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. staff — employees
  11. mug — a face
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bat — the animal
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bank — for money
  22. staff — employees
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. staff — a stick

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