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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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Word bank
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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. row — to paddle
  3. content — the amount
  4. can — to be able to
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lean — to bend
  7. content — happy
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. row — a line
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. can — a tin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. can — a tin
  17. lean — thin
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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