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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. charge — in control
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. clip — for paper
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rash — a series
  14. current — happening now
  15. lie — to recline
  16. clip — a video
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. clip — to cut
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wound — an injury

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