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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: pop · stem · sharp · lie · march · firm · mouse · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pop — music
  6. firm — a company
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. firm — decided
  10. march — the month
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pop — soda
  15. march — music
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. march — the month
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pop — to visit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stem — to come from
  22. firm — steady
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. content — happy

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