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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spring — of water
  4. kick — in football
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. toast — bread
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. craft — boats
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spring — the season
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. rock — music
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. clip — a video
  24. bowl — a dish

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