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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. board — to get on
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. lean — thin
  10. cell — in biology
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lie — to recline
  17. content — the amount
  18. board — a committee
  19. roll — a list
  20. lean — to bend
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cell — a phone

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