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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. scale — in music
  3. root — of a word
  4. club — for golf
  5. firm — steady
  6. scale — size or range
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mine — for digging
  9. firm — a company
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. root — the cause
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. firm — decided
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. scale — for weighing

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