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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. content — happy
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. lie — to recline
  8. content — the amount
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. current — of water
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. firm — decided
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pitcher — a jug

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