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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pop — soda
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pop — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wind — moving air
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pop — to visit
  11. content — happy
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. track — a song
  16. rest — a break
  17. wind — moving air
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. track — a path
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rest — what's left
  24. content — the amount

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