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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · last · fine · charge · lie · content · snap · cue

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. last — final
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. charge — electricity
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. snap — to click
  11. content — the amount
  12. last — finally
  13. cue — for pool
  14. last — to go on
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cue — a hint
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cue — a signal
  21. charge — a price
  22. fine — all right
  23. charge — in control
  24. fine — a penalty

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