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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. fine — all right
  3. charge — electricity
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fine — high quality
  6. clip — a video
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kid — to tease
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. clip — for paper
  14. prune — to trim
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. charge — in control
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. dip — to sink
  21. prune — to trim
  22. clip — to cut
  23. charge — a price
  24. prune — the fruit

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