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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: content · trunk · sharp · deal · lean · mate · firm · foot

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. firm — a company
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. firm — steady
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mate — a friend
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. firm — decided
  15. foot — a measure
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. deal — to handle
  20. lean — thin
  21. content — happy
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mate — to breed
  24. content — the amount

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