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

Word bank: lie · clip · sharp · ground · bay · face · wind · ruler

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — for paper
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. clip — to cut
  19. face — part of the head
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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