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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. clip — a video
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. clip — for paper
  11. face — to confront
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lean — thin
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rock — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stand — to bear
  22. clip — to cut
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. face — part of the head

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