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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. clip — a video
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bulb — for light
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. clip — for paper
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rest — a break
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bulb — for light
  19. clip — to cut
  20. march — the month
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pit — a hole

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