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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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. calf — a young animal
  4. drill — a practice
  5. present — the time now
  6. drill — army training
  7. rock — music
  8. present — a gift
  9. drill — the tool
  10. present — there
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — a stone
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lie — to recline
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. clip — for paper
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. face — to confront
  24. calf — of the leg

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