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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. content — happy
  4. land — ground
  5. bank — of a river
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. last — to go on
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. can — a tin
  10. kick — in football
  11. lean — thin
  12. bank — for money
  13. content — the amount
  14. can — a tin
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lean — to bend
  18. land — a country
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bank — for money
  21. last — finally
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. last — final
  24. land — to come down

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