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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. club — a group
  6. content — the amount
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. content — happy
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. leaves — of a tree

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