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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: wave · mug · game · lie · bat · chest · key · object

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bat — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — a match
  8. key — in music
  9. object — an aim
  10. chest — a box
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mug — a face
  13. key — for a lock
  14. object — a thing
  15. game — wild animals
  16. object — to protest
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mug — a cup
  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