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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 · coach · foot · fork · jam · wax · pound · clip

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pound — a weight
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. foot — a measure
  15. clip — to cut
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fork — to eat with

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