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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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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: dip · bowl · fan · lie · clip · charge · saw · cabinet

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. clip — a video
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. clip — to cut
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — to recline
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. clip — for paper
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. charge — a price
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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