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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mug — a face
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lean — to bend
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. content — happy
  16. kick — in football
  17. mug — to rob
  18. board — to get on
  19. content — the amount
  20. board — a committee
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mug — a cup

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