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

Word bank: cell · bank · lean · bulb · object · rest · content · mark

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. object — an aim
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bank — of a river
  5. object — a thing
  6. bank — for money
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. content — happy
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. rest — what's left
  15. object — to protest
  16. bank — for money
  17. rest — a break
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. content — the amount
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bulb — of a plant

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