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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
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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: spell · pop · patient · bass · clip · lie · track · stick

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. track — to keep track
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. track — a song
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. spell — magic
  14. pop — soda
  15. spell — letters
  16. track — a path
  17. bass — the fish
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pop — music
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. clip — a video
  24. pop — to visit

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