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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: chair · foot · lean · mouse · degree · lie · content · bore

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lean — thin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bore — to tire
  8. foot — a measure
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. degree — an amount
  11. content — happy
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. degree — temperature
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lean — to bend
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. lie — an untruth

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