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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · stick · content · game · sharp · bass · cabinet · lie

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. content — the amount
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bass — low music
  9. sharp — clever
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. game — a match
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. game — a kind of play

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