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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — the amount
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rest — a break
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lean — to bend
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lean — thin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ball — a dance
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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