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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fork — in a road
  3. clip — a video
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rest — what's left
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. file — a document
  10. toast — bread
  11. swing — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. file — a line of people
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. swing — in golf
  18. file — a tool
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rest — a break
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fall — the season

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