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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.

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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. firm — decided
  3. content — happy
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. firm — steady
  8. pop — soda
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pop — to visit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. kid — child
  15. firm — a company
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — music
  18. season — in sport
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. content — the amount
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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