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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 120 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
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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: spell · lie · wake · content · chest · pit · bear · sharp

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chest — of your body
  3. content — the amount
  4. spell — magic
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. spell — a short time
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pit — in a race
  15. spell — letters
  16. chest — a box
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. content — happy
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pit — a hole

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