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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mug — to rob
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stem — to come from
  6. roll — a cake
  7. clip — a video
  8. track — a path
  9. tube — a container
  10. track — to keep track
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. clip — to cut
  13. roll — a list
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. track — a song
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mug — a cup
  20. tube — the underground
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mug — a face
  24. hand — help

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