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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rush — hurry
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. row — to paddle
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. row — a line
  9. content — the amount
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. net — for catching
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. net — in sport
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. net — after costs
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. content — happy

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