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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. lean — to bend
  9. content — happy
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. lean — thin
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ball — a great time
  23. kid — to tease
  24. leaves — to go away

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