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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: net · lie · mine · bowl · toast · stick · content · mate

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. toast — bread
  15. net — in sport
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. content — happy
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mate — a partner

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