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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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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: jam · cabinet · lean · foot · stem · snap · content · rock

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. lean — thin
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. content — the amount
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rock — a stone
  9. foot — a measure
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lean — to bend
  13. content — happy
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stem — to come from
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. snap — to click
  19. rock — music
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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