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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lean — thin
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. content — the amount
  6. can — a tin
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. press — to push
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. current — happening now
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. content — happy
  17. current — of water
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. current — electric
  23. can — a tin
  24. press — newspapers

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