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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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468
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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rest — a break
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rock — music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cell — in biology
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cell — a phone
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rest — what's left
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wound — an injury

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