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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. can — a tin
  3. kid — child
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bass — the fish
  7. content — the amount
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mark — a trace
  10. saw — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rest — what's left
  17. content — happy
  18. rest — a break
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. saw — the tool

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