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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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468
Word bank
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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. clip — a video
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. can — to be able to
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. face — part of the head
  8. can — a tin
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. degree — an amount
  11. present — a gift
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. face — to confront
  15. degree — from a university
  16. face — to point toward
  17. present — the time now
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. clip — for paper
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bowl — to roll
  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