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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. game — a match
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wound — an injury
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bass — low music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bore — to drill
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lie — to recline
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bore — to tire
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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