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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rock — music
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. pitch — completely
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mate — a partner
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. clip — to cut
  18. mate — a friend
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. hide — to keep secret

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