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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. season — in sport
  4. face — part of the head
  5. squash — the sport
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. board — a committee
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. board — to get on
  10. face — to point toward
  11. squash — to crush
  12. face — to confront
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. dip — to sink
  16. season — of the year
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. clip — to cut
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. squash — the vegetable

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