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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lean — thin
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. clip — for paper
  8. board — a committee
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fine — high quality
  14. board — to get on
  15. lie — to recline
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fine — all right
  18. snap — to click
  19. clip — a video
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lean — to bend
  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