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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bank — of a river
  4. track — a path
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mine — for digging
  8. present — there
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bank — for money
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bank — for money
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ground — the earth
  17. present — the time now
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. content — the amount
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. present — a gift
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. content — happy

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