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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. snap — to click
  3. content — the amount
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pit — in a race
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. chair — a leader
  13. content — happy
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pit — a hole
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. content — videos and posts

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