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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. craft — a skill
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. march — music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. squash — the sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. squash — to crush
  13. march — the month
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. craft — boats
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. content — happy
  20. march — the month
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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