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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. spell — magic
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. face — part of the head
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. face — to confront
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. club — for dancing
  14. face — to point toward
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stock — goods
  17. season — of the year
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. club — a group
  23. stock — shares
  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