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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. clip — a video
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rush — hurry
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fall — the season
  14. pop — music
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. clip — for paper
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pop — soda
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fan — a supporter

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