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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pass — a permit
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lie — to recline
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ball — a great time
  12. clip — to cut
  13. ball — a dance
  14. plane — a tool
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — a video
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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