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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. club — a group
  6. field — for sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pop — to visit
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. staff — employees
  13. pop — music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pop — soda
  16. rest — a break
  17. staff — employees
  18. club — for golf
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. rest — what's left
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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