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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. row — to paddle
  4. key — in music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pop — music
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. content — the amount
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pop — soda
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. race — a contest
  16. content — happy
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. key — for a lock
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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