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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: bound · lie · hide · stem · saw · clip · rash · mine

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bound — certain
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rash — hasty
  24. lie — to recline

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