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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spell — magic
  7. current — electric
  8. ball — a great time
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. capital — a city
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spell — letters
  17. lie — to recline
  18. clip — for paper
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. capital — money
  23. ball — a dance
  24. spell — a short time

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