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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. club — a group
  7. swing — to play on
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rule — government
  11. march — the month
  12. swing — in golf
  13. club — for golf
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. tube — the underground
  16. swing — music
  17. march — music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. march — the month
  20. sharp — clever
  21. tube — a container
  22. rule — a law
  23. rash — hasty
  24. tube — in a tire

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