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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rash — a series
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. clip — a video
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rest — a break
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. lie — to recline
  18. hand — help
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. snap — to click
  24. clip — to cut

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