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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lean — thin
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rest — a break
  9. kick — in football
  10. content — the amount
  11. chip — to eat
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rest — what's left
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. content — happy
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lean — to bend

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