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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. kid — to tease
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bound — tied together
  6. squash — the sport
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mug — a cup
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mug — a face
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. content — the amount
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. content — happy
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wax — to grow
  22. kid — child
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mine — for digging

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