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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. can — a tin
  3. clip — for paper
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bank — for money
  10. spell — magic
  11. rock — music
  12. content — the amount
  13. spell — letters
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kid — to tease
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. kid — child
  19. clip — to cut
  20. content — happy
  21. clip — a video
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. rock — to move gently

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