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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. content — the amount
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. track — to keep track
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lean — to bend
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. track — a song
  10. stand — to bear
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lean — thin
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. deal — to handle
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. track — a path
  24. nail — for a hammer

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