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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pit — in a race
  4. game — a match
  5. present — there
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wind — moving air
  9. game — wild animals
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mark — a trace
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — to sink

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