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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. clip — a video
  3. net — after costs
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mark — a trace
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. track — a path
  19. net — for catching
  20. lean — to bend
  21. track — a song
  22. net — in sport
  23. mark — a grade
  24. sharp — clever

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