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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. can — to be able to
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. content — happy
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lie — to recline
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bound — certain
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. can — a tin
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bound — obliged
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. can — a tin

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