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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pass — a permit
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. land — a country
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — to recline
  13. saw — the tool
  14. land — ground
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. content — happy
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. content — the amount
  23. land — to come down
  24. lie — an untruth

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