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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. clip — to cut
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fine — all right
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. clip — a video
  7. fine — high quality
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mouse — for a computer

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