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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. deal — a big deal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. content — the amount
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. content — happy
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. deal — to handle
  9. perch — the fish
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. date — the fruit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. prune — to trim
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lean — to bend
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. deal — an agreement
  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