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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 120 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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rock — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. tear — to rip
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. tear — from crying
  9. charge — in control
  10. chest — of your body
  11. content — happy
  12. chest — a box
  13. net — for catching
  14. tear — from crying
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. content — the amount
  17. charge — a price
  18. lie — to recline
  19. net — in sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rock — a stone
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. net — after costs
  24. charge — electricity

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