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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. clip — to cut
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. lie — to recline
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — a path
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. track — to keep track
  13. chip — for betting
  14. clip — for paper
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. clip — a video
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chip — to eat
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kick — in football
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hide — to keep secret

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