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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rock — a stone
  4. firm — steady
  5. net — after costs
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. track — a path
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rock — music
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. firm — decided
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. file — a document
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. track — a song
  18. net — in sport
  19. content — happy
  20. firm — a company
  21. lean — to bend
  22. net — for catching
  23. content — the amount
  24. file — a tool

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