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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lean — thin
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. staff — employees
  10. lean — to bend
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitch — completely
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. object — a thing
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. firm — steady
  24. content — the amount

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