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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. swing — in golf
  6. saw — the tool
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cap — a hat
  11. file — a document
  12. snap — to click
  13. lie — to recline
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. file — a tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. swing — music
  24. lie — an untruth

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