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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: can · snap · present · leaves · rock · land · suit · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. land — to come down
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. snap — to click
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. can — to be able to
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. land — a country
  19. rock — a stone
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. suit — clothes
  22. land — ground
  23. rock — music
  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