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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 124 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. present — the time now
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. clip — a video
  9. present — there
  10. club — for dancing
  11. clip — for paper
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. club — a group
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. present — a gift
  20. clip — to cut
  21. lean — to bend
  22. club — for golf
  23. bowl — a football final
  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