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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. clip — to cut
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. staff — employees
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ground — crushed
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. clip — a video
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. staff — employees
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ground — a position
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. ground — the earth
  20. clip — for paper
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. hide — to keep secret

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