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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. content — the amount
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. present — the time now
  10. bank — of a river
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. content — happy
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bank — for money
  21. present — a gift
  22. bank — for money
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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