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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 120 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mug — to rob
  8. clip — a video
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mug — a face
  12. rash — a series
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. ball — a great time
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rash — on the skin

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