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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. scale — in music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lie — to recline
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mine — for digging
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. scale — size or range
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bear — the animal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bear — the animal

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