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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. board — to get on
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stand — to bear
  13. kick — in football
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cell — a phone
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. board — a committee
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. clip — to cut
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cell — in biology

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