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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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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — to cut
  5. cue — for pool
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. face — part of the head
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. march — music
  10. branch — a division
  11. march — the month
  12. clip — for paper
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rest — what's left
  15. face — to confront
  16. cue — a hint
  17. march — the month
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lie — to recline
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. racket — for tennis

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