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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chip — for betting
  5. content — happy
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bulb — for light
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hand — help
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stock — shares
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lean — to bend
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stock — goods
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. content — the amount
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lean — thin

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