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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. clip — to cut
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. clip — a video
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. clip — for paper
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bound — certain
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. plane — an aircraft

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