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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fall — the season
  3. club — a group
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bass — low music
  6. content — the amount
  7. fall — to drop
  8. club — for golf
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chip — to eat
  12. content — happy
  13. fall — to drop
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lie — to recline
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bass — the fish
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. snap — to click

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