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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lean — thin
  3. content — happy
  4. cap — of ice
  5. content — the amount
  6. can — to be able to
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. key — in music
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cap — a hat
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lie — to recline
  19. key — for a lock
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bank — for money

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