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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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. swing — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. content — the amount
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. swing — to play on
  18. tube — a container
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bank — for money
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bat — the animal

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