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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. clip — a video
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fall — the season
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fall — to drop
  19. clip — for paper
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cue — a hint
  24. clip — to cut

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