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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. content — happy
  3. drill — the tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. board — to get on
  7. chip — to eat
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. net — in sport
  14. dip — to sink
  15. drill — army training
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. content — the amount
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. board — a committee
  24. lean — to bend

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