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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. toast — bread
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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