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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. present — a gift
  4. pitch — completely
  5. march — the month
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bear — the animal
  8. present — there
  9. clip — a video
  10. march — music
  11. fall — the season
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. march — the month
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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