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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. key — for a lock
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. key — in music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cap — a lid
  14. key — the most important part
  15. chest — of your body
  16. kick — in football
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lie — to recline
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bound — certain
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cap — a hat

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