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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. clip — to cut
  3. swing — to play on
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. plane — a tool
  6. swing — music
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pound — a weight
  19. clip — for paper
  20. face — to confront
  21. clip — a video
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stem — to come from
  24. face — to point toward

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