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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fine — all right
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. content — happy
  8. tube — a container
  9. content — the amount
  10. fine — high quality
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. staff — employees
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bark — to shout

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