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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. content — happy
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. dip — to sink
  10. content — the amount
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. spring — the season
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lean — to bend
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. spring — of water
  24. snap — to click

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