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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.

Words on the sheet
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: ground · row · key · lie · suit · snap · hand · clip

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. ground — crushed
  7. row — a line
  8. snap — to click
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. hand — help
  12. key — in music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — the most important part
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. clip — to cut
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. key — for a lock
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lie — to recline

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