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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mark — a grade
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. drill — the tool
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. content — the amount
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. toast — bread
  12. file — a document
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. drill — a practice
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mark — a trace
  19. drill — army training
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. spring — the season
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. content — happy

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