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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. ball — a dance
  5. hand — help
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wake — a trail
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. clip — for paper
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. clip — a video
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. stand — to bear
  24. clip — to cut

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