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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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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: leaves · cap · content · lash · last · pitcher · mark · roll

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. last — finally
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cap — a lid
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cap — a hat
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. roll — a list
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. content — happy
  11. last — final
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. content — the amount
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. last — to go on

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