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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. clip — for paper
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cell — a phone
  6. clip — to cut
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cue — a hint
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. clip — a video
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cue — a signal

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