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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — the amount
  3. season — of the year
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ball — a great time
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lie — to recline
  14. season — in sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. snap — to click
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lie — an untruth

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