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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. march — the month
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lean — thin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. track — to keep track
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. spell — letters
  12. track — a path
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. track — a song
  16. pop — music
  17. spell — magic
  18. pop — to visit
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pop — soda
  21. swing — to play on
  22. march — the month
  23. spell — a short time
  24. march — music

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