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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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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. toast — bread
  3. mug — a cup
  4. object — to protest
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. content — happy
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. object — an aim
  16. content — the amount
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mug — to rob
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. object — a thing
  21. mug — a face
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. last — to go on
  24. lean — to rest against

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