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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. content — happy
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. lie — to recline
  16. charge — electricity
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wax — to grow
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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