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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. content — the amount
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ball — a dance
  11. content — happy
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. current — of water
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ball — a great time
  17. current — happening now
  18. rest — a break
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rest — what's left
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. suit — clothes
  24. current — electric

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