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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mate — to breed
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. chip — to eat
  7. shower — rain
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. object — an aim
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. content — the amount
  13. object — a thing
  14. ball — a great time
  15. kick — in football
  16. shower — to wash
  17. chip — for betting
  18. content — happy
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. ball — a dance
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. object — to protest

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