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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. content — the amount
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. chest — a box
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. chest — of your body
  16. content — happy
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. chest — of your body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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