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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. clip — a video
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. can — a tin
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. can — a tin
  12. cap — of ice
  13. clip — to cut
  14. perch — the fish
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cap — a hat
  17. clip — for paper
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bat — in an idiom

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