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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mug — to rob
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mug — a face
  9. rest — a break
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mark — a trace
  15. content — happy
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rest — what's left
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mark — a grade
  24. content — the amount

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