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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 124 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stand — to bear
  3. swing — music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. tube — the underground
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kid — to tease
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kid — child
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. perch — the fish
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ball — a great time
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. swing — to play on
  22. tube — a container
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — in golf

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