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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · leaves · can · toast · chair · snap · bound · jam

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. content — happy
  6. can — a tin
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. can — to be able to
  10. content — the amount
  11. toast — bread
  12. bound — tied together
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bound — certain
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chair — a leader
  24. content — videos and posts

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