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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: lie · clip · rush · club · bulb · spell · plane · foot

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rush — hurry
  5. spell — magic
  6. club — for dancing
  7. clip — a video
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. plane — a tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. club — a group
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. club — for golf
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. foot — a measure

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