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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. game — a match
  3. firm — a company
  4. bass — the fish
  5. court — for sport
  6. last — to go on
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. game — wild animals
  12. firm — steady
  13. last — final
  14. court — of law
  15. cap — a lid
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bass — low music
  19. firm — decided
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fall — to drop
  23. last — finally
  24. court — of a king

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