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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: band · can · lean · leaves · cue · fork · bat · content

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fork — in a road
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. can — a tin
  8. content — the amount
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lean — to bend
  11. band — a music group
  12. content — happy
  13. band — a ring
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bat — the animal
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lean — thin
  20. cue — for pool
  21. can — a tin
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bat — in an idiom

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