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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. swing — to play on
  3. clip — for paper
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. board — to get on
  7. dip — to sink
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. ball — a dance
  12. clip — a video
  13. bear — the animal
  14. board — a committee
  15. swing — in golf
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. clip — to cut
  22. ball — a great time
  23. swing — music
  24. dip — a sauce

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