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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pop — music
  3. clip — a video
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — soda
  11. cap — a lid
  12. clip — to cut
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. object — a thing
  15. lie — to recline
  16. clip — for paper
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. pop — to visit
  22. object — an aim
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cap — of ice

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