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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 116 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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 — happy
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. key — for a lock
  6. can — a tin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bound — tied together
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lie — to recline
  12. key — in music
  13. bound — obliged
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bound — certain
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rock — a stone
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. key — the most important part
  22. content — the amount
  23. rock — music
  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