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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. current — happening now
  6. face — part of the head
  7. row — a line
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — to recline
  13. current — electric
  14. face — to confront
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. content — the amount
  17. current — of water
  18. face — to point toward
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hand — in cards
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hand — help
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pass — to spend time

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