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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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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: ground · cabinet · season · lie · current · mate · clip · wound

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mate — a friend
  3. clip — to cut
  4. current — happening now
  5. season — in sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. current — electric
  9. clip — for paper
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wound — an injury
  12. current — of water
  13. ground — a position
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. season — of the year
  17. mate — to breed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. clip — a video
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mate — a partner

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