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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. clip — a video
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rock — music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. clip — to cut
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. face — to confront
  12. cap — a lid
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rush — hurry
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bat — the animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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