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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. deal — to handle
  12. key — in music
  13. ball — a great time
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rash — a series
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cold — not warm
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rash — hasty
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rash — on the skin

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