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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bank — for money
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bank — for money
  6. clip — for paper
  7. ball — a great time
  8. clip — a video
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bank — of a river
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. clip — to cut
  15. ball — a dance
  16. shower — to wash
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. sharp — clever
  20. suit — clothes
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. suit — to fit
  24. shower — rain

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