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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wake — a trail
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. present — a gift
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rock — music
  13. dip — to sink
  14. clip — a video
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. clip — to cut
  18. hand — help
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. squash — the sport

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