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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. field — for sport
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. dip — to sink
  7. content — the amount
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. field — farmland
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bound — tied together
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bound — certain
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. key — for a lock
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. content — happy
  20. can — a tin
  21. bound — obliged
  22. key — in music
  23. board — a committee
  24. field — a subject

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