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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · sharp · mate · mark · saw · track · content · tear

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mark — a grade
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. tear — from crying
  7. track — a song
  8. lean — thin
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mark — a trace
  11. track — to keep track
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mate — a partner
  14. sharp — clever
  15. content — the amount
  16. mate — to breed
  17. track — a path
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. saw — the tool
  20. content — happy
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mate — a friend
  24. sharp — with an edge

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