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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. pop — music
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. can — a tin
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rush — hurry
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. clip — a video
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lie — to recline
  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