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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. field — for sport
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fall — to drop
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. can — to be able to
  8. field — a subject
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. content — happy
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. tube — a container
  16. can — a tin
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. content — the amount
  20. can — a tin
  21. tube — the underground
  22. field — farmland
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lie — to recline

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