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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rest — a break
  3. clip — for paper
  4. present — the time now
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. clip — a video
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. dip — to sink
  11. present — there
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rest — what's left
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rest — what's left
  16. vault — a safe
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. present — a gift
  22. mine — for digging
  23. clip — to cut
  24. prune — to trim

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