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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 124 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pop — soda
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. clip — to cut
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. clip — for paper
  8. track — to keep track
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. track — a song
  12. clip — a video
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. pop — to visit
  19. track — a path
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pop — music

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