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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: lie · net · mug · prune · ground · face · clip · jam

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. clip — to cut
  3. ground — the earth
  4. face — to confront
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ground — a position
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lie — to recline
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mug — a cup
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. face — to point toward
  16. prune — to trim
  17. clip — a video
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. net — for catching
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. clip — for paper
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mug — a face

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