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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. track — a path
  4. tear — to rip
  5. track — a song
  6. last — finally
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. content — happy
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. tear — from crying
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. tear — from crying
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. last — to go on
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lean — to bend
  22. last — final
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. content — the amount

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