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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rock — a stone
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — a division
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. clip — a video
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rock — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. clip — for paper
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. game — a match
  16. march — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. march — the month
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. game — wild animals

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