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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. clip — a video
  5. mate — to breed
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. clip — for paper
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mate — a friend
  10. court — for sport
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. toast — bread
  15. court — of law
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. court — of a king
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. clip — to cut
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. lie — an untruth

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