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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. content — happy
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bank — of a river
  6. dip — to sink
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. net — after costs
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bank — for money
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. net — for catching
  15. last — to go on
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. content — the amount
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bank — for money
  21. net — in sport
  22. last — finally
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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