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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. clip — a video
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. face — part of the head
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bat — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — to confront
  9. squash — to crush
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. face — to point toward
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mate — a friend
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mate — to breed

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