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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. land — ground
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. perch — the fish
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lie — to recline
  10. swing — to play on
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. swing — music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. key — for a lock
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. key — in music
  22. land — a country
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. land — to come down

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