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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 · saw · toast · leaves · mark · date · row · ball

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. content — happy
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. row — a line
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. toast — bread
  13. saw — the tool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. content — the amount
  16. saw — the tool
  17. date — the fruit
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mark — a trace

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