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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. fine — high quality
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. lie — to recline
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. spring — a coil
  7. content — happy
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fine — all right
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. row — to paddle
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. spring — the season
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. spring — of water
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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