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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 116 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. object — a thing
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — a trail
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. object — an aim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. staff — employees
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. object — to protest
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. content — happy

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