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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rush — hurry
  3. key — in music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. firm — decided
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. firm — steady
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mate — a partner

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