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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 · spell · object · clip · season · capital · leaves · plane

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. clip — for paper
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. capital — money
  6. season — in sport
  7. object — a thing
  8. plane — a tool
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. capital — a city
  12. spell — a short time
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. season — of the year
  15. object — an aim
  16. clip — a video
  17. spell — magic
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. spell — letters
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. clip — to cut
  24. object — to protest

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