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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. content — happy
  3. face — to point toward
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. face — to confront
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bear — the animal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. content — the amount
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. content — videos and posts

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