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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lie — to recline
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fine — high quality
  5. clip — a video
  6. firm — a company
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fine — all right
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stem — to come from
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. prune — to trim
  20. firm — steady
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. firm — decided
  24. prune — the fruit

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