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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. club — a group
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. object — an aim
  6. spring — the season
  7. object — to protest
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. object — a thing
  10. key — in music
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. scale — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. spring — of water
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mate — a partner
  17. club — for dancing
  18. spring — a coil
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. club — for golf
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mate — to breed

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