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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
YesNo
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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: lie · racket · land · mug · rock · chest · hide · content

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chest — a box
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mug — a face
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. land — a country
  13. rock — music
  14. land — to come down
  15. mug — to rob
  16. land — ground
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mug — a cup
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chest — of your body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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