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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. firm — a company
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. clip — to cut
  8. lie — to recline
  9. march — the month
  10. capital — a city
  11. march — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bore — to drill
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. firm — steady
  17. clip — a video
  18. firm — decided
  19. clip — for paper
  20. march — the month
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. capital — money

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