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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. content — the amount
  3. present — the time now
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. present — there
  7. rock — a stone
  8. race — humankind
  9. band — a ring
  10. content — happy
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. race — a contest
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. race — the arms race
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. present — a gift
  20. bear — the animal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. band — a music group
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rock — music

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