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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. swing — in golf
  4. charge — a price
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lie — to recline
  8. march — music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. march — the month
  11. key — in music
  12. swing — music
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bat — the animal
  15. charge — in control
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. spring — of water
  21. swing — to play on
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spring — a coil

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