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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. tube — a container
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. tube — the underground
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. plane — a tool

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