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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pop — music
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. perch — the fish
  10. content — the amount
  11. lie — to recline
  12. content — happy
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lash — an eyelash

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