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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lie — to recline
  8. can — to be able to
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. perch — the fish
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. can — a tin
  16. face — part of the head
  17. can — a tin
  18. content — happy
  19. rule — government
  20. face — to point toward
  21. content — the amount
  22. face — to confront
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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