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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. clip — a video
  3. tube — the underground
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bat — the animal
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. clip — to cut
  8. staff — employees
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. staff — employees
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — a stick
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lie — to recline
  24. straw — dry grass

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