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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lean — thin
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bulb — for light
  10. content — happy
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. content — the amount
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — to bend
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. capital — money
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. capital — a city
  23. key — in music
  24. firm — a company

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