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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. content — happy
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. capital — a city
  6. chest — of your body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pass — a permit
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — for a lock
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. key — in music
  17. content — the amount
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. pass — to spend time

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