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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mug — a cup
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mug — to rob
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fall — to drop
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fall — the season
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. content — happy
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mug — a face
  18. lean — thin
  19. bulb — for light
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. lean — to bend
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bulb — for light
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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