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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. board — to get on
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mine — for digging
  7. board — a committee
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — happy
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. field — for sport
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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