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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spring — the season
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. track — a song
  13. lean — thin
  14. shower — rain
  15. content — the amount
  16. lean — to bend
  17. track — a path
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. spring — of water
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. content — happy
  23. spring — a coil
  24. shower — to wash

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