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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rest — a break
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. swing — to play on
  7. clip — to cut
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. clip — a video
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. swing — music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rest — what's left
  24. leaves — to go away

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