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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mate — a friend
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mate — a partner
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rock — music
  13. clip — a video
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bass — low music
  18. plane — a tool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rock — a stone
  24. clip — for paper

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