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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
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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: cell · foot · mug · content · wave · sharp · swing · lie

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. content — happy
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cell — in biology
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. sharp — clever
  20. content — the amount
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lie — an untruth

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