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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spring — a coil
  3. object — a thing
  4. deal — to handle
  5. object — an aim
  6. spring — of water
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. snap — to click
  9. content — happy
  10. ground — a position
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. ground — the earth
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. ground — crushed
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. content — the amount
  18. object — to protest
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spring — the season
  21. band — a music group
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. band — a ring
  24. deal — an agreement

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