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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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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: mug · wake · mine · lie · roll · ruler · content · ball

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mug — a cup
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mug — a face
  14. lie — to recline
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. content — the amount
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. roll — a list
  20. mug — to rob
  21. content — happy
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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