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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. dip — to sink
  3. present — the time now
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. clip — a video
  11. rule — a law
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cap — a hat
  16. present — a gift
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. present — there
  24. clip — to cut

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