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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rock — music
  5. face — to point toward
  6. band — a music group
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. face — part of the head
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mark — a grade
  12. band — a ring
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rock — a stone
  17. season — in sport
  18. lie — to recline
  19. season — of the year
  20. content — happy
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. face — to confront
  24. season — to add flavour

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