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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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. perch — the fish
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. staff — employees
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. staff — a stick
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. sharp — clever
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. lean — thin
  16. content — happy
  17. staff — employees
  18. bulb — for light
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. game — a match
  24. sharp — with an edge

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