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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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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pop — music
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. content — the amount
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bound — obliged
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. capital — money
  15. fine — all right
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. lean — thin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. spell — letters
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. content — happy
  24. capital — a city

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