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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. land — a country
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. land — to come down
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. lie — to recline
  13. staff — employees
  14. band — a ring
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. band — a music group
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. clip — for paper
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. land — ground
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. temple — a place of worship

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