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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: land · ball · mouse · fork · dip · lie · content · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fork — in a road
  11. land — ground
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. content — happy
  14. lie — to recline
  15. land — to come down
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. content — the amount
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. land — a country
  21. charge — in control
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fork — a garden tool

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