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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rule · mug · lie · clip · ball · mine · stem · deal

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. ball — a great time
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mug — a face
  14. mine — for digging
  15. clip — for paper
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. clip — a video
  21. rule — government
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rule — a law

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