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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. file — a line of people
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pit — in a race
  7. file — a document
  8. stand — to bear
  9. staff — employees
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. lean — to bend
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. file — a tool
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lean — thin
  17. staff — a stick
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. staff — employees
  20. tube — the underground
  21. content — happy
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. tube — a container

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