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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
468
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: pit · sharp · content · stick · land · hand · lie · rash

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. land — ground
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pit — in a race
  5. hand — help
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pit — a hole
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. land — to come down
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. land — a country
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. sharp — exactly
  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