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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. band — a music group
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. land — ground
  8. land — to come down
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. band — a ring
  16. dip — to sink
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cap — a lid
  20. land — a country
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cap — of ice
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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