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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. clip — for paper
  4. snap — to click
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. game — a match
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. object — a thing
  13. clip — to cut
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. game — wild animals
  16. clip — a video
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. branch — a division
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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