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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bear — the animal
  9. capital — a city
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. capital — money
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bear — the animal
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lean — thin
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lie — an untruth

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