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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spring — of water
  7. root — of a plant
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — of a word
  12. swing — in golf
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. swing — to play on
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. spring — the season
  17. stand — to bear
  18. swing — music
  19. can — a tin
  20. root — the cause
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. sharp — clever

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