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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chest — a box
  3. court — for sport
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. court — of law
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lie — to recline
  8. tube — the underground
  9. content — the amount
  10. court — of a king
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. tube — a container
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rush — hurry
  17. content — happy
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chest — of your body
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. chest — of your body

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