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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. content — the amount
  4. spell — a short time
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cap — a hat
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. spell — magic
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mug — a face
  18. cap — of ice
  19. spell — letters
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. content — happy
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. leaves — lets stay

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