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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rock — a stone
  4. clip — a video
  5. cap — a hat
  6. staff — employees
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. clip — to cut
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rock — music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — a lid
  16. face — to confront
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. face — to point toward
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. clip — for paper
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lie — an untruth

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