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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. chest — a box
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. can — to be able to
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ground — a position
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. can — a tin
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lean — to bend
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ground — crushed
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. date — the fruit
  23. prune — the fruit
  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