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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lean — thin
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stock — shares
  12. content — happy
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stock — goods
  17. content — the amount
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lean — to bend
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mark — a trace

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