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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. roll — a list
  3. bound — tied together
  4. clip — for paper
  5. mug — to rob
  6. clip — a video
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mug — a face
  9. roll — a cake
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. clip — to cut
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bound — certain
  14. race — a contest
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bound — obliged
  17. race — the arms race
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. race — humankind
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mug — a cup

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