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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.

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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: lie · stick · mine · coach · last · cap · pound · content

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mine — for digging
  6. content — the amount
  7. last — finally
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. last — to go on
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cap — of ice
  22. content — happy
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. last — final

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