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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — a container
  3. last — to go on
  4. rock — music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bass — the fish
  9. clip — to cut
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. tube — the underground
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bass — low music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. last — final
  20. lie — to recline
  21. last — finally
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. dip — to dunk

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