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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. content — happy
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. lie — to recline
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cap — of ice
  17. prune — to trim
  18. content — the amount
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cap — a hat

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