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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. content — the amount
  9. sharp — clever
  10. race — the arms race
  11. content — happy
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. band — a music group
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. band — a ring
  17. race — humankind
  18. game — a match
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. race — a contest
  22. game — wild animals
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. band — a rubber band

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