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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. field — farmland
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pit — a hole
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. fork — in a road
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. can — to be able to
  18. field — a subject
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. field — for sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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