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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rock — a stone
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lie — to recline
  12. march — the month
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rock — music
  17. content — the amount
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. march — the month
  21. content — happy
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. march — music
  24. ball — a dance

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