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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.

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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cold — an illness
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bank — for money
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cell — a phone
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. content — the amount
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bank — of a river
  17. face — to confront
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. content — happy
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chip — to eat

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