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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 light ________________ burned out.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stem — to come from
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. content — happy
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. roll — a list
  14. march — the month
  15. roll — a cake
  16. content — the amount
  17. march — music
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. march — the month
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bulb — for light

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