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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. clip — for paper
  3. content — the amount
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bound — tied together
  7. content — happy
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. clip — to cut
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. season — in sport
  12. clip — a video
  13. bound — certain
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rock — a stone
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. season — of the year
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rock — music
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lean — to rest against

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