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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 124 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. lie — to recline
  4. clip — a video
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. drill — army training
  9. scale — in music
  10. foot — a measure
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. clip — to cut
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. clip — for paper
  20. kick — in football
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cabinet — ministers

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