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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. clip — to cut
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. can — to be able to
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. can — a tin
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. clip — a video
  17. dip — to sink
  18. hand — help
  19. clip — for paper
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. can — a tin

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