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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. content — the amount
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. last — finally
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. staff — employees
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rock — music
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. chair — a leader
  11. foot — a measure
  12. last — to go on
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. staff — a stick
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. staff — employees
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. content — happy
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. last — final

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