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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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. saw — the tool
  4. scale — size or range
  5. saw — the tool
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. content — happy
  8. lie — to recline
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. root — of a plant
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. root — of a word
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. scale — in music
  19. content — the amount
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. root — the cause

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