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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. swing — music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. swing — to play on
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. game — a match
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chip — for betting
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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