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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. clip — a video
  8. last — finally
  9. clip — to cut
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. last — to go on
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. last — final
  24. clip — for paper

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