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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. hand — help
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pass — a permit
  11. clip — for paper
  12. content — happy
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. hand — in cards
  16. clip — a video
  17. content — the amount
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. swing — to play on
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — to bear
  23. clip — to cut
  24. swing — music

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