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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fine — high quality
  6. content — happy
  7. mate — a friend
  8. content — the amount
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lean — thin
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bat — the animal
  22. fine — all right
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lean — to rest against

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