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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. clip — to cut
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bound — certain
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. suit — in cards
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. suit — clothes
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. foot — a measure
  15. suit — to fit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bark — to shout

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