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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. land — ground
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. land — a country
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. dip — to sink
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. land — to come down
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. squash — the sport
  14. clip — for paper
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. clip — a video
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. clip — to cut
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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