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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: wind · sharp · content · ruler · coach · bass · bear · leaves

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. content — happy
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. content — the amount
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — moving air
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bass — low music
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. leaves — lets stay

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