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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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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: root · chest · content · kid · cap · can · lean · lie

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. root — the cause
  3. cap — a hat
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cap — of ice
  6. kid — child
  7. lean — thin
  8. can — a tin
  9. content — the amount
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lie — to recline
  13. can — a tin
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. content — happy
  17. root — of a word
  18. lean — to bend
  19. chest — a box
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lean — to rest against

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