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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rock — a stone
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cell — a phone
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. rock — music
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. vault — a safe
  18. content — happy
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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