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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spell — magic
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. degree — temperature
  13. spell — letters
  14. degree — from a university
  15. ball — a great time
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fine — high quality
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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