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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fine — all right
  6. craft — a skill
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. clip — a video
  9. wake — a trail
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pop — soda
  12. clip — to cut
  13. key — for a lock
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fine — high quality
  17. content — happy
  18. key — in music
  19. pop — music
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. craft — boats
  22. content — the amount
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fine — a penalty

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