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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — the underground
  3. field — for sport
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. field — farmland
  6. lie — to recline
  7. field — a subject
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. content — the amount
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pit — a hole
  16. content — happy
  17. tear — to rip
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tube — a container
  21. deal — to handle
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tear — from crying
  24. deal — an agreement

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