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

Word bank: roll · wake · fine · content · net · lie · cap · firm

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fine — high quality
  3. net — in sport
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. firm — steady
  6. cap — of ice
  7. firm — a company
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cap — a lid
  10. net — for catching
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. firm — decided
  13. content — happy
  14. roll — a list
  15. net — after costs
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fine — all right
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. content — the amount
  22. lie — to recline
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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