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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. object — to protest
  4. rest — what's left
  5. object — a thing
  6. clip — a video
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rest — a break
  9. object — an aim
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. content — happy
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. clip — for paper
  18. content — the amount
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. clip — to cut
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bear — the animal

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