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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. content — videos and posts
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. pit — a hole
  7. track — to keep track
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — in a race
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. content — the amount
  13. cap — a lid
  14. content — happy
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. lie — to recline
  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