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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mate — a partner
  4. game — wild animals
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bulb — for light
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rock — a stone
  10. content — happy
  11. game — a match
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rock — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. content — the amount
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ball — a great time

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