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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. bass — the fish
  6. lie — to recline
  7. key — in music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. object — a thing
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. object — an aim
  12. rest — what's left
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bass — low music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. capital — money
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. capital — a city
  22. key — for a lock
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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