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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. lean — to bend
  3. current — electric
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. foot — a measure
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. current — happening now
  14. present — the time now
  15. chip — for betting
  16. current — of water
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. content — the amount
  23. lean — thin
  24. nail — for a hammer

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