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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mark — a trace
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fine — all right
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. clip — a video
  7. scale — size or range
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. mark — a grade
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. clip — for paper
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. chair — a leader
  23. clip — to cut
  24. scale — in music

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