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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. land — ground
  9. kid — child
  10. land — a country
  11. lean — to bend
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. suit — clothes
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. kid — to tease
  20. suit — to fit
  21. content — happy
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. suit — in cards
  24. land — to come down

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