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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.

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: club · cue · key · date · lie · clip · mine · spell

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. spell — magic
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. club — a group
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lie — to recline
  7. clip — to cut
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — a video
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cue — a hint
  19. club — for golf
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. date — the fruit
  23. spell — letters
  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