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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — help
  3. firm — decided
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. hand — in cards
  6. race — humankind
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mate — a partner
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. swing — music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. season — in sport
  13. firm — a company
  14. mate — to breed
  15. race — a contest
  16. season — of the year
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mate — a friend
  20. race — the arms race
  21. firm — steady
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lie — to recline

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