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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. face — part of the head
  8. key — in music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. face — to confront
  14. stand — to bear
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rush — hurry
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rest — what's left
  19. key — for a lock
  20. clip — a video
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bear — the animal

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