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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. hand — help
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hand — in cards
  14. last — finally
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. content — the amount
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. last — final
  22. content — happy
  23. last — to go on
  24. safe — a strongbox

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