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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: lie · key · swing · cold · ruler · cap · mate · fine

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. mate — a friend
  3. key — the most important part
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cold — not warm
  9. fine — all right
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cap — a lid
  12. key — in music
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. cap — a hat
  15. swing — music
  16. cap — of ice
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mate — to breed
  19. key — for a lock
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fine — high quality

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