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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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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: fine · pass · saw · cell · clip · firm · rest · lie

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pass — a permit
  4. firm — steady
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fine — high quality
  11. clip — a video
  12. firm — a company
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cell — a phone
  16. firm — decided
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rest — a break
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. rest — what's left
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fine — a penalty

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