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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. pass — a permit
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rock — a stone
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. ground — a position
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bound — certain
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. ground — the earth
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. root — the cause
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bound — tied together
  21. root — of a word
  22. clip — a video
  23. ground — crushed
  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