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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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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 · content · kid · key · leaves · temple · lean · mark

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. key — the most important part
  3. kid — to tease
  4. mark — a grade
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. content — happy
  8. key — in music
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. mark — a trace
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. content — the amount
  16. key — for a lock
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lean — thin
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. chair — a leader
  23. lean — to bend
  24. leaves — of a tree

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