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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. file — a tool
  3. dip — to sink
  4. face — part of the head
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. face — to point toward
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. content — happy
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. present — there
  16. content — the amount
  17. game — wild animals
  18. file — a document
  19. present — the time now
  20. game — a match
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. face — to confront
  23. present — a gift
  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