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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 116 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. bulb — for light
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. fall — the season
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fall — to drop
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. suit — to fit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. club — for dancing

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