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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: foot · wave · lie · object · wake · mouse · content · pit

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. object — to protest
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. object — a thing
  18. foot — a measure
  19. object — an aim
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. content — happy
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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