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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rest — what's left
  4. last — final
  5. cap — a hat
  6. last — finally
  7. roll — a list
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rest — what's left
  10. roll — a cake
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cap — of ice
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. last — to go on
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ball — a great time
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rest — a break
  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