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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 120 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: clip · can · nail · spell · track · face · present · lie

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. spell — a short time
  3. track — a path
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. present — a gift
  6. spell — letters
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. can — a tin
  10. clip — for paper
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spell — magic
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lie — to recline
  15. clip — to cut
  16. present — the time now
  17. can — a tin
  18. clip — a video
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. present — there
  23. can — to be able to
  24. lie — an untruth

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