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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bear — the animal
  6. swing — to play on
  7. key — in music
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bear — the animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. tube — the underground
  18. swing — in golf
  19. key — for a lock
  20. tube — a container
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. swing — music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tube — in a tire

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