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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. wound — an injury
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. key — the most important part
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. mate — a friend
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wound — an injury
  13. key — in music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mate — a partner
  17. content — the amount
  18. key — for a lock
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mate — to breed
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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