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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. plane — a tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. tube — the underground
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. file — a line of people
  15. content — happy
  16. tube — a container
  17. file — a document
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. file — a tool
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wound — an injury

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