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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. can — a tin
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mug — a cup
  8. game — wild animals
  9. ball — a dance
  10. kid — child
  11. game — a match
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ball — a great time
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. can — a tin
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — to be able to
  24. snap — to click

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