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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: cap · deal · bound · club · lie · lash · key · swing

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cap — a lid
  7. club — for golf
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. swing — music
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bound — certain
  19. cap — a hat
  20. club — for dancing
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. club — a group
  24. key — in music

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