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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. firm — a company
  6. content — the amount
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wake — a trail
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. firm — decided
  12. net — in sport
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. content — happy
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. net — after costs
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. net — for catching
  21. firm — steady
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cue — a signal

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