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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. can — a tin
  3. lean — thin
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pit — in a race
  8. can — to be able to
  9. kid — child
  10. lean — to bend
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. face — part of the head
  13. charge — in control
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. kid — to tease
  21. can — a tin
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pit — a hole

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