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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. key — the most important part
  3. last — final
  4. swing — music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. kid — child
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. key — in music
  10. lie — to recline
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rock — a stone
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. last — finally
  19. kid — to tease
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rock — music
  24. last — to go on

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