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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rock — music
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. content — happy
  10. spring — of water
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cue — for pool
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. spring — the season
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cell — a phone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fall — the season
  23. content — the amount
  24. cell — in biology

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