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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rash — a series
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rock — music
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — a law
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chest — a box
  17. rock — a stone
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ball — a great time
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. chest — of your body
  24. spell — a short time

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