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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. court — of law
  4. lie — to recline
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. suit — to fit
  8. net — after costs
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. net — for catching
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. content — happy
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. content — the amount
  18. court — of a king
  19. net — in sport
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. court — for sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. suit — in cards
  24. kick — in football

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