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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. vault — a safe
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. suit — in cards
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wake — a trail
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. row — a line
  21. mate — a partner
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mate — to breed
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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