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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. lean — thin
  3. content — happy
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. key — in music
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. content — the amount
  12. dip — to sink
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. key — for a lock

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