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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. spell — letters
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. clip — to cut
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. mug — to rob
  8. clip — a video
  9. mug — a cup
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. spell — magic
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rash — hasty
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mug — a face
  19. scale — size or range
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rash — a series

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