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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: lie · bank · clip · mouse · squash · lean · field · spell

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. clip — a video
  7. lie — to recline
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. spell — magic
  15. field — a subject
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bank — for money
  23. field — farmland
  24. bank — of a river

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