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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mate — a friend
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. content — the amount
  6. band — a music group
  7. mate — a partner
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. spell — letters
  13. band — a ring
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lie — to recline
  20. spell — magic
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mate — to breed
  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