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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. present — a gift
  5. clip — a video
  6. lie — to recline
  7. present — the time now
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pop — music
  13. present — there
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pop — soda
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. clip — for paper
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pop — to visit
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — hasty

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