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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. club — a group
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pop — soda
  16. clip — a video
  17. lean — thin
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. club — for golf
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pop — music
  23. clip — for paper
  24. lash — to lash out

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