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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. key — in music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. last — to go on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. last — final
  18. lie — to recline
  19. key — the most important part
  20. swing — music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. swing — to play on
  23. scale — in music
  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