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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. clip — to cut
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cue — a hint
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rash — a series
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. cue — for pool
  11. net — in sport
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. chest — a box
  18. clip — a video
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. net — for catching
  22. plane — a tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. net — after costs

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