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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. clip — a video
  3. mug — a cup
  4. shower — to wash
  5. clip — to cut
  6. cue — a signal
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mug — a face
  12. spell — letters
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — a trail
  15. clip — for paper
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cue — for pool
  18. lean — thin
  19. cue — a hint
  20. shower — rain
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mug — to rob
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wake — before a funeral

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