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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.

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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. field — for sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. key — in music
  6. content — the amount
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mine — for digging
  13. content — happy
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. key — for a lock
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bear — to put up with

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