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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. kid — child
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lie — to recline
  9. content — the amount
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rush — hurry
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. scale — in music

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