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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. clip — for paper
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cap — a lid
  7. dip — to sink
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. fall — to drop
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bass — low music
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cap — a hat

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