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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · game · pit · wave · clip · lean · lie · can

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. can — a tin
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lean — to bend
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. deal — to handle
  17. clip — for paper
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. clip — a video
  24. deal — an agreement

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