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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. track — a song
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bat — the animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. game — wild animals
  20. track — a path
  21. bass — low music
  22. game — a match
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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