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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. lean — thin
  3. content — the amount
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rest — what's left
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rest — a break
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. content — happy
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. chip — to eat

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