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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. content — happy
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. track — to keep track
  10. firm — decided
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. content — the amount
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rock — music
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wake — a trail

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