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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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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: spring · lean · dip · track · content · wave · ground · board

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. track — to keep track
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. spring — a coil
  6. content — happy
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ground — a position
  11. track — a path
  12. spring — of water
  13. board — to get on
  14. content — the amount
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lean — thin
  18. track — a song
  19. spring — the season
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. board — a committee
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. dip — a sauce

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