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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: lie · content · key · ground · rest · dip · wax · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ground — a position
  5. bear — the animal
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rest — what's left
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. bear — the animal
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rest — what's left
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rest — a break
  22. dip — to sink
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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