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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. suit — clothes
  3. tube — a container
  4. suit — in cards
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. kick — in football
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. content — happy
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. content — the amount
  17. suit — to fit
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ground — a position
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mark — a grade
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ground — the earth

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