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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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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: clip · fine · stem · nail · lie · ball · wound · face

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. clip — to cut
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. face — part of the head
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. clip — for paper
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wound — an injury
  20. clip — a video
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  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