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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cue — for pool
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. fall — to drop
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. craft — boats
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mine — for digging
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fall — to drop
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. firm — steady
  24. fall — the season

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