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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mug — a cup
  6. saw — the tool
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. plane — a tool
  11. clip — a video
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rest — a break
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mug — to rob
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rest — what's left
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bass — low music
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mug — a face
  24. wax — in the ear

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