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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bass — low music
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. key — the most important part
  8. lean — thin
  9. game — a match
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bark — to shout
  15. lean — to bend
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mug — a face
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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