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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. cap — a lid
  6. lean — to bend
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. track — a song
  9. spring — the season
  10. saw — the tool
  11. spring — a coil
  12. content — the amount
  13. board — to get on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pound — a weight
  16. content — happy
  17. board — a committee
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. spring — of water
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pound — for dogs

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