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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. chip — to eat
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. drill — the tool
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — army training
  17. chip — for betting
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wound — an injury
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stand — for spectators

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