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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. clip — to cut
  3. swing — to play on
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. clip — a video
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. swing — music
  18. band — a music group
  19. swing — in golf
  20. fork — in a road
  21. band — a ring
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. clip — for paper

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