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

Word bank: deal · bank · kid · lie · mine · object · lean · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. kid — child
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — to protest
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bank — for money
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. content — the amount
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. object — an aim
  15. bank — for money
  16. lie — to recline
  17. kid — to tease
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lean — thin
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mine — for digging
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. content — happy

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