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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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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: rest · deal · trunk · content · leaves · kid · mug · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mug — a cup
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. kid — child
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rest — a break
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. content — happy
  11. kid — to tease
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lean — thin
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mug — a face
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mug — to rob
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. content — the amount
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. trunk — of a car

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