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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. swing — in golf
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spring — of water
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bass — the fish
  10. swing — to play on
  11. can — a tin
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. can — a tin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. spring — the season
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — low music
  22. spring — a coil
  23. swing — music
  24. staff — employees

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