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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 120 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. clip — to cut
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. board — a committee
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — money
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. capital — a city
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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