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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.

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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. clip — to cut
  6. kick — in football
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. march — music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. march — the month
  21. lie — to recline
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lash — to lash out

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