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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. content — the amount
  7. press — a publisher
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. kid — to tease
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. press — to push
  12. kid — child
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. content — happy
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stem — to come from
  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