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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. tear — from crying
  3. can — a tin
  4. clip — for paper
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. present — a gift
  7. pit — in a race
  8. track — a path
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. can — a tin
  11. ball — a dance
  12. present — there
  13. dip — to sink
  14. tear — to rip
  15. can — to be able to
  16. clip — a video
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pit — a hole
  20. track — to keep track
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. track — a song
  24. clip — to cut

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