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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. content — the amount
  9. current — of water
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stand — to bear
  13. content — happy
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. date — the fruit
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. current — electric
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. current — happening now
  24. bay — a horse colour

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