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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. sharp — clever
  6. spell — letters
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. clip — a video
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wake — a trail
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. spell — magic
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. dip — to sink
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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