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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 120 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ball — a dance
  7. key — for a lock
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. can — a tin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. key — in music
  14. can — to be able to
  15. content — happy
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. can — a tin
  24. key — the most important part

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