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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. tube — a container
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. cap — a lid
  5. content — the amount
  6. spell — letters
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — a short time
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. band — a music group
  14. cap — of ice
  15. content — happy
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pit — a hole
  24. lie — to recline

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