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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 116 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: leaves · rock · spell · stem · content · object · wound · fine

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. object — to protest
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. object — a thing
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. spell — magic
  8. wound — an injury
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fine — all right
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. object — an aim
  16. rock — a stone
  17. spell — letters
  18. content — the amount
  19. fine — high quality
  20. content — happy
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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