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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.

Make a worksheet

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: capital · wake · ball · lie · content · stick · hand · saw

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wake — a trail
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. capital — a city
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. hand — in cards
  16. capital — money
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. ball — a dance

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