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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lean — thin
  3. staff — employees
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. track — to keep track
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. swing — music
  9. staff — a stick
  10. content — happy
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. staff — employees
  15. swing — to play on
  16. last — finally
  17. bear — the animal
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bear — the animal
  20. scale — in music
  21. content — the amount
  22. swing — in golf
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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