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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. spring — a coil
  5. tear — from crying
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. spring — the season
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. chip — to eat
  11. snap — to click
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. spring — of water
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. firm — decided
  19. chip — for betting
  20. craft — boats
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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