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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 116 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
468
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: game · key · leaves · snap · fan · lie · straw · content

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. key — in music
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. game — wild animals
  10. content — the amount
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. content — happy
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. lie — to recline
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. key — the most important part
  21. snap — to click
  22. game — a match
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. fan — a supporter

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