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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.

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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. clip — a video
  5. chest — of your body
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bound — tied together
  8. content — the amount
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lean — thin
  12. clip — to cut
  13. wake — a trail
  14. content — happy
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bound — certain
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bound — obliged
  20. suit — to fit
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chest — a box
  24. suit — in cards

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