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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. clip — to cut
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. shower — to wash
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. clip — for paper
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. content — happy
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. track — a song
  17. swing — in golf
  18. shower — rain
  19. clip — a video
  20. roll — a cake
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. content — the amount
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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