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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 124 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. key — for a lock
  4. swing — music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. swing — to play on
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. current — of water
  11. key — in music
  12. current — electric
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. key — the most important part
  15. content — the amount
  16. spell — magic
  17. content — happy
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. current — happening now
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spell — letters

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