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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 120 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. clip — to cut
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wound — an injury
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. clip — a video
  11. mug — a face
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mug — to rob
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. last — to go on
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. dip — a sauce

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