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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. present — the time now
  3. content — the amount
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. club — for golf
  6. present — a gift
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. present — there
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. kid — child
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lean — thin
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. club — for dancing
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. club — a group
  22. kid — to tease
  23. content — happy
  24. mate — a partner

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