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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. clip — a video
  3. root — of a word
  4. pop — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bass — low music
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. clip — to cut
  12. court — for sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. snap — to click
  15. pop — soda
  16. court — of law
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. court — of a king
  19. clip — for paper
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pop — to visit
  23. root — the cause
  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