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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 124 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rule — a law
  4. roll — a cake
  5. swing — in golf
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. hand — in cards
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. roll — a list
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. net — after costs
  12. staff — employees
  13. swing — music
  14. staff — a stick
  15. net — for catching
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rule — government
  18. hand — help
  19. staff — employees
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. foot — a measure
  22. lie — to recline
  23. net — in sport
  24. lie — an untruth

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