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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. lie — to recline
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. sharp — clever
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. capital — money
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. capital — a city
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pass — a permit
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. club — a group

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