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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. object — a thing
  3. fine — all right
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wax — to grow
  6. content — happy
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. object — to protest
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. object — an aim
  19. mine — for digging
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. content — the amount

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