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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. clip — to cut
  3. cell — in biology
  4. craft — a skill
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — for paper
  7. ball — a great time
  8. swing — music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. swing — to play on
  11. ball — a dance
  12. craft — boats
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. firm — steady
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. firm — a company
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. firm — decided
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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