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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. clip — a video
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rule — government
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rule — a law
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. clip — to cut
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. clip — for paper
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bulb — of a plant

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