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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ball — a dance
  3. current — of water
  4. chest — of your body
  5. firm — steady
  6. ball — a great time
  7. chest — a box
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. roll — a cake
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. roll — a list
  16. firm — decided
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. firm — a company
  23. current — electric
  24. mouse — for a computer

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