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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. content — the amount
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. toast — bread
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. prune — to trim
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pass — a permit
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. prune — the fruit

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