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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 120 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bulb — for light
  7. charge — a price
  8. staff — employees
  9. tube — the underground
  10. season — in sport
  11. clip — a video
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. clip — for paper
  18. staff — employees
  19. bulb — for light
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. tube — a container
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. staff — a stick
  24. tube — in a tire

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