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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cap — a hat
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. clip — to cut
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mark — a grade
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. clip — a video
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mark — a trace
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. clip — for paper

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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