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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 116 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: net · staff · tube · lean · prune · leaves · bowl · content

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. staff — employees
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. net — after costs
  9. content — the amount
  10. net — for catching
  11. staff — employees
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lean — thin
  14. staff — a stick
  15. prune — to trim
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. net — in sport
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. tube — a container
  23. content — happy
  24. tube — the underground

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