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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · lie · club · hide · coach · wind · key · bay

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. club — a group
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. club — for golf
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. key — in music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. club — for dancing
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. key — the most important part
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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