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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. content — the amount
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bark — to shout
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. current — happening now
  10. content — happy
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. current — electric
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mark — a trace
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bear — the animal
  23. current — of water
  24. squash — to crush

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