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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mark — a grade
  3. kick — in football
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bass — low music
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lean — to bend
  8. scale — in music
  9. content — happy
  10. bass — the fish
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mark — a trace
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. content — the amount
  24. chip — for betting

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