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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: clip · lie · chest · date · content · last · fine · cue

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. chest — of your body
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. chest — of your body
  5. clip — for paper
  6. content — the amount
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. last — finally
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. last — final
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cue — a hint
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. clip — to cut
  19. date — the fruit
  20. last — to go on
  21. fine — all right
  22. chest — a box
  23. clip — a video
  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