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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. can — a tin
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bound — obliged
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. firm — steady
  17. march — music
  18. bound — certain
  19. march — the month
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. march — the month
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bound — tied together
  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