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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 124 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. roll — a list
  3. cap — of ice
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bound — certain
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rest — what's left
  16. clip — a video
  17. roll — a cake
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bound — tied together

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