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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — happy
  7. snap — to click
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lean — thin
  12. content — the amount
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. present — a gift
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. present — the time now
  24. bay — a horse colour

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