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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 124 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. game — wild animals
  7. board — to get on
  8. clip — for paper
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lie — to recline
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mark — a grade
  14. board — a committee
  15. clip — to cut
  16. content — the amount
  17. game — a match
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. clip — a video
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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