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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. content — the amount
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mine — for digging
  11. charge — electricity
  12. track — a path
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. current — electric
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bulb — for light
  23. content — happy
  24. current — of water

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