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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. can — a tin
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. can — a tin
  8. fall — the season
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. content — happy
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bank — for money
  13. spring — the season
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fall — to drop
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bank — of a river
  21. chip — for betting
  22. spring — of water
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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