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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 dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. dip — to sink
  3. clip — for paper
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bulb — for light
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — to cut
  15. cap — of ice
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. squash — the sport
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitch — completely
  24. dip — to dunk

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