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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. cue — a hint
  4. foot — a measure
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. kick — in football
  8. spring — a coil
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. content — the amount
  12. spring — of water
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. content — happy
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spring — the season
  19. suit — to fit
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cue — for pool
  23. suit — clothes
  24. content — videos and posts

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