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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. clip — a video
  4. snap — to click
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. lean — thin
  13. bound — obliged
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lean — to bend
  16. swing — music
  17. clip — to cut
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. clip — for paper
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. swing — to play on
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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