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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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. craft — a skill
  4. rest — a break
  5. clip — for paper
  6. stem — to come from
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. craft — boats
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mug — a face
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. clip — a video

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