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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 112 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. spell — letters
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. key — the most important part
  8. kick — in football
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. key — for a lock
  12. spell — magic
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rush — hurry
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pop — music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. key — in music
  24. pop — soda

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