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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. file — a line of people
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. deal — to handle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. clip — a video
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. clip — to cut
  17. row — a line
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. clip — for paper

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