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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mate — to breed
  3. hand — help
  4. present — a gift
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. band — a ring
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wound — an injury
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. present — there
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hand — in cards
  15. band — a music group
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. present — the time now
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mate — a friend

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