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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. club — for dancing
  3. suit — clothes
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. season — of the year
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. suit — in cards
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. file — a tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. club — a group
  17. suit — to fit
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. club — for golf
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. file — a document
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. season — in sport

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