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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 120 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. net — after costs
  3. tube — the underground
  4. clip — a video
  5. lie — to recline
  6. content — happy
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. clip — to cut
  14. content — the amount
  15. pit — a hole
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. net — for catching
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. net — in sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. tube — a container
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. clip — for paper

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