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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · stick · cap · swing · bound · clip · toast · rush

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. clip — a video
  9. cap — a lid
  10. clip — to cut
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cap — a hat
  16. toast — bread
  17. bound — certain
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. lie — to recline
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  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