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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. clip — to cut
  3. spell — a short time
  4. drill — a practice
  5. net — in sport
  6. spell — letters
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. clip — for paper
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. spell — magic
  19. net — after costs
  20. clip — a video
  21. drill — army training
  22. net — for catching
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mouse — the animal

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