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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. tube — a container
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — in sport
  6. foot — a measure
  7. tube — the underground
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. clip — for paper
  10. season — of the year
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hand — help
  17. clip — a video
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pass — a permit
  21. clip — to cut
  22. vault — a safe
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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