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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.

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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: root · bay · lie · spell · clip · fall · pit · mouse

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. clip — a video
  14. fall — to drop
  15. root — of a word
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. root — the cause
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. root — of a plant

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