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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · craft · coach · kick · fall · lean · prune · lie

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fall — the season
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lean — thin
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. prune — to trim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — for paper
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lean — to bend
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lie — to recline
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. clip — a video

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