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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. capital — money
  3. bound — obliged
  4. key — in music
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bound — certain
  9. swing — in golf
  10. spell — magic
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — letters
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ball — a dance
  19. key — for a lock
  20. swing — music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. capital — a city

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