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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bank — of a river
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bank — for money
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rule — a law
  10. snap — to click
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bank — for money
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. content — the amount
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rule — government
  24. leaves — to go away

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