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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. key — in music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. content — the amount
  7. board — a committee
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. key — for a lock
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bulb — for light
  14. board — to get on
  15. tear — from crying
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bulb — for light
  18. key — the most important part
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. tear — from crying
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. content — videos and posts
  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