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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. can — a tin
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. pass — a permit
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. can — a tin
  16. kick — in football
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. scale — size or range
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. scale — in music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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