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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: coach · saw · lie · stock · clip · game · leaves · mine

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. clip — a video
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stock — shares
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. clip — for paper
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. clip — to cut
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. game — a match

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