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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · hand · cap · dip · chair · rash · bear

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lean — thin
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. lean — to bend
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cap — a lid
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rash — hasty
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rash — a series

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