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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. firm — steady
  3. swing — in golf
  4. court — for sport
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. scale — in music
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. bound — obliged
  10. swing — to play on
  11. scale — size or range
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bank — for money
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bank — for money
  17. plane — a tool
  18. court — of law
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bound — certain
  23. swing — music
  24. court — of a king

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