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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. track — to keep track
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. content — the amount
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. track — a path
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rock — a stone
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. track — a song
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. content — happy
  24. cap — a hat

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