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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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. lie — an untruth
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. squash — the sport
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. key — in music
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. ground — crushed
  16. tube — a container
  17. squash — to crush
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tear — from crying
  20. content — the amount
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. key — the most important part
  24. toast — bread

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