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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mate — a partner
  3. content — happy
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mate — to breed
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. board — a committee
  13. mug — a face
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mate — a friend
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — to get on
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. squash — to crush
  23. content — the amount
  24. lie — an untruth

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