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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 valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. object — a thing
  2. clip — to cut
  3. wound — an injury
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lie — to recline
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mark — a grade
  9. key — the most important part
  10. clip — for paper
  11. key — in music
  12. object — an aim
  13. clip — a video
  14. object — to protest
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. scale — in music
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. scale — for weighing
  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