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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. lie — to recline
  5. snap — to click
  6. swing — music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. key — the most important part
  10. spell — a short time
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. march — the month
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. key — in music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. swing — to play on
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. rock — to move gently

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