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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. content — the amount
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rock — music
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rush — hurry
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wake — a trail
  13. club — a group
  14. spell — magic
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. spell — letters
  20. rock — a stone
  21. club — for golf
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lie — to recline
  24. content — happy

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