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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stock — goods
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. hand — help
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. content — the amount
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mark — a grade
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. hand — in cards

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