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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pass — a permit
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. drill — army training
  5. press — to push
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rest — what's left
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. drill — a practice
  11. clip — a video
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rest — a break
  15. shower — to wash
  16. drill — the tool
  17. press — newspapers
  18. clip — to cut
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. shower — rain
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. lash — to lash out

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