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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. clip — for paper
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. lie — to recline
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stock — shares
  16. clip — a video
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — hasty
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stock — goods
  22. rash — a series
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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