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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. content — happy
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bulb — for light
  6. content — the amount
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spell — letters
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fine — all right
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pit — a hole
  18. spell — magic
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. tube — a container
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pop — to visit

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