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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wake — a trail
  5. content — the amount
  6. tube — a container
  7. key — in music
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. present — there
  10. content — happy
  11. key — for a lock
  12. season — in sport
  13. mate — a partner
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. band — a ring
  16. present — a gift
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mate — to breed
  21. present — the time now
  22. band — a music group
  23. mate — a friend
  24. tube — the underground

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