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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ball — a dance
  3. track — a path
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ball — a great time
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mug — a cup
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bass — low music
  15. mug — a face
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mug — to rob
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. game — a match
  24. bass — the fish

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