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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: content · wave · wake · stick · mug · stand · bore · leaves

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mug — a cup
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mug — a face
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. content — happy

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