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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: lean · content · rash · firm · cell · can · key · pass

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rash — a series
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. can — a tin
  6. content — happy
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. key — in music
  13. lean — thin
  14. firm — decided
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cell — a phone
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cell — in biology
  22. firm — a company
  23. pass — a permit
  24. key — for a lock

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