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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.

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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: saw · wake · suit · lie · clip · rule · tear · track

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. tear — to rip
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lie — to recline
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. clip — a video
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. track — a song
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. suit — to fit
  17. clip — to cut
  18. track — to keep track
  19. tear — from crying
  20. saw — the tool
  21. track — a path
  22. rule — a law
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rule — government

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