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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. board — a committee
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. clip — to cut
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. clip — a video
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — to get on
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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