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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rash — a series
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pop — soda
  7. firm — decided
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pop — to visit
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pop — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rash — on the skin

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