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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. toast — bread
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. dip — to sink
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. wound — an injury
  12. clip — to cut
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. clip — a video
  16. rock — music
  17. clip — for paper
  18. wound — an injury

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