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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · lie · spell · key · tube · chest · coach · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spell — magic
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. key — the most important part
  8. tube — a container
  9. row — a line
  10. spell — a short time
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. chest — a box
  13. key — in music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. key — for a lock
  19. content — happy
  20. tube — the underground
  21. chest — of your body
  22. spell — letters
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. coach — a trainer

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