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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fine — high quality
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rest — a break
  6. content — the amount
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. content — happy
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tube — a container
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tube — the underground
  17. key — in music
  18. fine — all right
  19. wind — moving air
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lean — thin
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wind — moving air

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