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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. land — to come down
  3. content — the amount
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mark — a trace
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bear — the animal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. content — happy
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. snap — to click
  19. craft — boats
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. bear — to put up with

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