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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. file — a document
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mug — a cup
  5. clip — for paper
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wind — moving air
  8. file — a tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bulb — for light
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mug — a face
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lie — to recline
  19. clip — a video
  20. mug — to rob
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bulb — for light
  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