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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. staff — employees
  3. clip — to cut
  4. season — of the year
  5. board — to get on
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. clip — a video
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. staff — a stick
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. face — to point toward
  15. board — a committee
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. clip — for paper
  18. season — in sport
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. staff — employees
  23. face — to confront
  24. board — a flat piece

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