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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. swing — music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bank — for money
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wake — a trail
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. clip — a video
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. clip — for paper
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bank — for money

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