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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. clip — to cut
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. clip — for paper
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. clip — a video
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fine — all right
  18. wind — moving air
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fine — high quality
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. dip — a sauce

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