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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: patient · snap · roll · dip · key · lie · pop · content

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. roll — a cake
  3. pop — to visit
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pop — soda
  8. lie — to recline
  9. dip — to sink
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. key — in music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. roll — a list
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. content — the amount
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. content — happy
  19. key — for a lock
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to click
  24. key — the most important part

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