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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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bank — of a river
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ball — a great time
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bat — the animal
  17. content — happy
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. content — the amount
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bank — for money

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