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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: bear · fine · swing · safe · march · saw · mine · lie

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. march — the month
  3. swing — music
  4. fine — high quality
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mine — for digging
  7. march — the month
  8. lie — to recline
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. march — music
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. saw — the tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bear — the animal

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