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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. file — a tool
  3. root — of a word
  4. swing — music
  5. mate — a friend
  6. key — in music
  7. root — the cause
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. key — the most important part
  10. file — a document
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lie — to recline
  13. key — for a lock
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mate — to breed
  17. root — of a plant
  18. file — a line of people

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