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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.

Make a worksheet

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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mug — to rob
  6. root — the cause
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mug — a face
  9. season — of the year
  10. key — the most important part
  11. content — the amount
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lean — thin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. season — in sport
  17. key — in music
  18. root — of a plant
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. content — happy
  22. key — for a lock
  23. root — of a word
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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