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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. season — in sport
  5. craft — boats
  6. clip — for paper
  7. toast — bread
  8. clip — a video
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. current — electric
  11. rash — a series
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. current — of water
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rash — hasty
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. current — happening now
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. season — of the year
  24. arm — part of the body

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