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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fork — in a road
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. land — to come down
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. track — to keep track
  10. land — ground
  11. track — a song
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. content — happy
  14. mug — a cup
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mate — a friend
  17. content — the amount
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. land — a country
  20. track — a path
  21. mug — a face
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mug — to rob
  24. sharp — with an edge

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