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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. band — a music group
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. root — of a word
  5. lie — to recline
  6. band — a ring
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. firm — decided
  10. clip — a video
  11. firm — steady
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. clip — to cut
  15. root — of a plant
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. suit — in cards
  18. clip — for paper
  19. suit — clothes
  20. season — of the year
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. suit — to fit
  23. root — the cause
  24. firm — a company

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