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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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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: present · mate · content · lean · last · bowl · lie · mouse

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. content — the amount
  9. last — finally
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. last — final
  14. content — happy
  15. present — the time now
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lean — to bend
  19. present — there
  20. lean — thin
  21. present — a gift
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. lean — to rest against

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