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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. content — the amount
  5. rash — hasty
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. scale — in music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bear — the animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. season — of the year
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. season — in sport
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rash — a series
  24. content — happy

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