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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. deal — to handle
  3. clip — for paper
  4. row — a line
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wound — an injury
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. clip — to cut
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. dip — to sink
  18. clip — a video
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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