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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.

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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. clip — a video
  4. cap — a lid
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pitch — completely
  15. deal — to handle
  16. squash — to crush
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. dip — to sink

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