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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bound — certain
  5. face — to confront
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. club — a group
  13. wind — moving air
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wind — moving air
  19. face — to point toward
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  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