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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: squash · staff · clip · fan · lie · net · hide · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. staff — a stick
  3. squash — the sport
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. squash — to crush
  7. staff — employees
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. clip — a video
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. clip — for paper
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lie — to recline
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. clip — to cut
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. net — in sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. staff — employees

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