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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. dip — to sink
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fine — all right
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. clip — to cut
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. hand — help
  14. clip — for paper
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. hand — in cards
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bass — low music
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. clip — a video
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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