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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: race · rock · mate · lie · key · hide · fine · chair

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. key — in music
  3. race — a contest
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. key — for a lock
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lie — to recline
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mate — to breed
  12. race — humankind
  13. rock — a stone
  14. chair — a leader
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mate — a partner

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