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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. land — ground
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. clip — for paper
  8. mark — a grade
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. land — a country
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. bound — tied together
  19. land — to come down
  20. chair — a leader
  21. charge — a price
  22. clip — a video
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — certain

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