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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. clip — for paper
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — a short time
  8. dip — to sink
  9. spell — letters
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. clip — to cut
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lie — to recline
  16. staff — employees
  17. clip — a video
  18. bulb — for light
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. spell — magic
  24. racket — for tennis

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