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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bound — tied together
  4. can — a tin
  5. hand — help
  6. can — a tin
  7. pit — a hole
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bound — obliged
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bound — certain
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. content — the amount
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lie — to recline
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — a series
  22. content — happy
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — hasty

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