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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. land — to come down
  3. swing — music
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. swing — to play on
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. land — a country
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. key — for a lock
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rash — a series
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rash — hasty
  19. key — in music
  20. lie — to recline
  21. toast — bread
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. land — ground
  24. lie — an untruth

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