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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pop — to visit
  5. row — a line
  6. current — happening now
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. clip — for paper
  10. root — of a plant
  11. current — of water
  12. pop — music
  13. rule — a law
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. charge — a price
  17. current — electric
  18. charge — electricity
  19. clip — a video
  20. charge — in control
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rule — government
  23. pop — soda
  24. row — to paddle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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