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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. clip — a video
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tear — from crying
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bulb — for light
  20. deal — to handle
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. clip — for paper
  24. dip — to sink

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