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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. game — wild animals
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cap — a hat
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bore — to tire
  8. game — a match
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pop — music
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lie — to recline
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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