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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. last — to go on
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. last — finally
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mug — a face
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. last — final
  12. lie — to recline
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ground — a position
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rash — a series
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wax — to grow

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