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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. clip — a video
  7. firm — a company
  8. tear — from crying
  9. firm — steady
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. last — final
  12. content — happy
  13. board — to get on
  14. face — to confront
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. face — to point toward
  19. clip — to cut
  20. face — part of the head
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. firm — decided
  24. clip — for paper

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