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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rock — music
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. field — for sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. content — happy
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cell — in biology
  13. field — farmland
  14. face — part of the head
  15. content — the amount
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rock — a stone
  19. field — a subject
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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