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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. sharp — clever
  6. suit — to fit
  7. content — the amount
  8. kid — child
  9. suit — clothes
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. content — happy
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bat — the animal
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. kid — to tease
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. branch — a division

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