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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lean — thin
  5. content — happy
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bear — the animal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. spell — letters
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. content — the amount
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lean — to bend
  20. spell — magic
  21. face — to confront
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bear — the animal

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