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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. content — happy
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stock — shares
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. charge — in control
  12. stock — goods
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — a series
  18. content — the amount
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. lie — to recline
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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