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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. saw — the tool
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. clip — for paper
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. net — for catching
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. clip — a video
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — a committee
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. present — the time now
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lie — to recline
  19. present — there
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. board — to get on
  23. present — a gift
  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