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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stock — goods
  5. file — a line of people
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. last — to go on
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mouse — for a computer

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