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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.

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: fine · lean · hide · ball · band · game · vault · content

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. content — happy
  4. fine — high quality
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lean — thin
  8. ball — a great time
  9. content — the amount
  10. band — a ring
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fine — all right
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ball — a dance
  16. band — a music group
  17. game — a match
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. band — a rubber band

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