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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. key — for a lock
  7. hand — help
  8. chair — a leader
  9. key — the most important part
  10. saw — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. snap — to click
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. key — in music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. hand — in cards
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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