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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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 — an untruth
  2. key — the most important part
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — music
  9. clip — to cut
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. perch — the fish
  13. clip — for paper
  14. lie — to recline
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rock — a stone
  17. race — humankind
  18. clip — a video
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. capital — money
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. key — in music
  23. perch — for a bird
  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