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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 120 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: lie · spring · bat · ball · clip · safe · racket · board

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. clip — to cut
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — to get on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spring — of water
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — for paper
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. spring — the season
  20. bat — the animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. board — a committee
  24. safe — out of danger

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