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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.

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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: foot · lie · rule · clip · season · drill · cap · arm

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. drill — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. season — in sport
  9. clip — to cut
  10. cap — a hat
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. clip — for paper
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. cap — of ice
  19. season — of the year
  20. rule — government
  21. drill — army training
  22. cap — a lid
  23. drill — a practice
  24. arm — part of the body

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