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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. clip — a video
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bark — to shout
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — to sink
  8. tube — the underground
  9. clip — to cut
  10. scale — size or range
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tube — a container
  13. scale — in music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. row — a line
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pass — a permit
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. dip — to dunk

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