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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. key — the most important part
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pop — music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. club — for golf
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pop — to visit
  15. vault — a safe
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. club — a group
  18. lie — to recline
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pop — soda
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kid — child
  24. sharp — clever

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