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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.

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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. swing — music
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. board — a committee
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bank — for money
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. key — for a lock
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. swing — to play on
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bank — for money
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bank — of a river
  18. key — in music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rush — hurry
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. board — to get on
  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