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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. scale — size or range
  3. lie — to recline
  4. suit — in cards
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. key — the most important part
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. suit — to fit
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. key — for a lock
  13. scale — in music
  14. spell — magic
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — not warm
  17. spell — letters
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. spell — a short time
  22. key — in music
  23. cold — an illness
  24. saw — the tool

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