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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. content — the amount
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. lean — thin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. club — for dancing
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. club — a group
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. club — for golf
  24. content — happy

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