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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. content — happy
  3. drill — a practice
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. suit — to fit
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. content — the amount
  18. drill — army training
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. toast — bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. suit — in cards
  24. content — videos and posts

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