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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. content — happy
  5. spell — letters
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stock — shares
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. chest — of your body
  11. content — the amount
  12. spell — magic
  13. stock — goods
  14. chair — a leader
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. current — happening now
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. current — of water
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. spell — a short time
  22. current — electric
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. foot — a measure

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