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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. board — to get on
  4. season — in sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. season — of the year
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. prune — to trim
  14. clip — to cut
  15. prune — to trim
  16. saw — the tool
  17. clip — a video
  18. game — a match
  19. lie — to recline
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. toast — bread

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