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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. content — the amount
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ground — a position
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ground — crushed
  24. racket — for tennis

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