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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. present — the time now
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. clip — to cut
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. present — a gift
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. clip — a video
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. charge — in control
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wind — moving air
  22. present — there
  23. charge — a price
  24. pass — a permit

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