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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rock — a stone
  3. swing — music
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rock — music
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. lie — to recline
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. last — to go on
  16. snap — to click
  17. fine — all right
  18. last — finally
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. capital — a city
  21. last — final
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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