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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: swing · track · lie · bear · fine · content · leaves · hand

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. swing — to play on
  7. track — a song
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. swing — in golf
  10. content — the amount
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. hand — in cards
  13. track — a path
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. content — happy
  21. lie — to recline
  22. track — to keep track
  23. swing — music
  24. bear — to put up with

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