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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bore — to tire
  4. can — to be able to
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. content — the amount
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. tube — a container
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. sharp — clever
  14. content — happy
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. tube — the underground
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bore — to drill
  24. patient — a sick person

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