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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. content — the amount
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. file — a document
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. file — a tool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cap — a hat
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. content — happy
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. prune — to trim
  19. dip — to sink
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bark — to shout
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — child

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