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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. firm — steady
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rash — a series
  13. clip — a video
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rest — a break
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. fork — in a road
  20. firm — a company
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. firm — decided
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rest — what's left

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