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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 124 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. key — in music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. march — the month
  11. roll — a cake
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. roll — a list
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. march — the month
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. swing — to play on
  24. temple — a place of worship

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