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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lie — to recline
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rule — government
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. object — to protest
  11. spring — of water
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rule — a law
  17. object — an aim
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. object — a thing

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