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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mate — to breed
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fine — all right
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fine — high quality
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. tear — from crying
  13. clip — a video
  14. mate — a friend
  15. chip — for betting
  16. clip — to cut
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. clip — for paper
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fine — a penalty

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