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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. sharp — clever
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bound — certain
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mug — a cup
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mug — to rob
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. craft — boats
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. toast — bread
  18. mug — a face
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bound — tied together
  24. craft — a handicraft

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