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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lie — to recline
  3. snap — to click
  4. content — the amount
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. clip — for paper
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — thin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. clip — to cut
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. clip — a video
  21. content — happy
  22. wind — moving air
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. coach — a trainer

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