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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 120 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. content — happy
  7. scale — in music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. content — the amount
  12. lie — to recline
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. game — a match
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — help
  20. bank — of a river
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bank — for money
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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