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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. charge — in control
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. content — happy
  16. cold — an illness
  17. file — a document
  18. can — to be able to
  19. file — a line of people
  20. charge — electricity
  21. file — a tool
  22. cold — not warm
  23. net — for catching
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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