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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spring — of water
  7. key — for a lock
  8. kid — child
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. spring — the season
  11. swing — music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. key — in music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. kid — to tease
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rush — hurry
  20. spell — letters
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. season — of the year
  23. swing — to play on
  24. spell — magic

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