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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rest — what's left
  5. plane — a tool
  6. current — electric
  7. land — to come down
  8. board — a committee
  9. rest — a break
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. clip — for paper
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. land — ground
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. current — happening now
  16. rest — what's left
  17. current — of water
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. clip — a video
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bat — the animal
  23. land — a country
  24. board — to get on

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