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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. content — the amount
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rush — hurry
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. dip — to sink

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