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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. clip — a video
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. game — wild animals
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mate — to breed
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. game — a match
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stand — to bear
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. dip — to sink
  24. chip — for betting

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