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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 120 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rock — a stone
  4. content — happy
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. game — wild animals
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. content — the amount
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rock — music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. game — a match
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fan — a supporter

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