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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bore — to tire
  4. net — after costs
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bore — to drill
  8. net — for catching
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. rash — a series
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bark — to shout
  20. net — in sport
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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