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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. firm — decided
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. firm — steady
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. kid — to tease
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. lie — to recline
  16. root — of a plant
  17. season — of the year
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. root — of a word
  20. kid — child
  21. root — the cause
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. firm — a company

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