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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. content — the amount
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pound — a weight
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. spring — of water
  15. roll — a list
  16. content — happy
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rush — hurry
  20. suit — clothes
  21. roll — a cake
  22. spring — the season
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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