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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 · can · rock · bay · coach · cap · snap

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. can — to be able to
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. can — a tin
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. clip — to cut
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rock — music
  16. snap — to click
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. can — a tin
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cap — a hat

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