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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. present — there
  6. drill — a practice
  7. net — after costs
  8. chip — for betting
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. content — happy
  11. net — in sport
  12. present — a gift
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. present — the time now
  17. net — for catching
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. drill — army training
  21. bank — for money
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lie — an untruth

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